Report and Reaction: Déjà vu for Whitecaps after away goal puts Pumas in charge of Champions Cup quarter-final

Oh what could have been! Vancouver Whitecaps once again controlled their Champions Cup match-up against Mexican opposition at BC Place, but once again they were punished for a momentary lapse of concentration, giving up a late away goal to Pumas UNAM, and now needing to go down to Mexico City and score in a week’s time to keep their cup dreams alive.

They’ve already got the job done in Mexico once already this season and they will head south with no fear, and based on their performance on Wednesday evening, the ‘Caps are very much in with a chance of progressing to the semi-finals.

A 71st minute own goal, credited to Brian White, but with a little bit of help from Ranko Veselinovic on the way, had put the Whitecaps ahead and as the minutes ticked down and a clean sheet loomed, they were undone at a corner and an unmarked Coco Carrasquilla volleyed home an equaliser on the night and the go-ahead goal in the tie.

Agonising for the ‘Caps, but it’s what good teams do. Vancouver are still very much in the tie and it’s all set up for another second leg barnburner next Wednesday.

Jesper Sorensen made three changes to the team that started Saturday’s draw in Toronto, two of them enforced with Andres Cubas and Mathias Laborda out injured, opting for a strong and fast-paced attacking line-up on the bench.

The ‘Caps came out strong and on the front foot, very much their M.O. for the season, and enjoyed the better of the early chances.

Sebastian Berhalter saw his low, goalbound shot deflected wide in the 4th minute, after connecting with a neat cutback from J.C. Ngando. Three minutes later and Tate Johnson almost slipped Brian White in, but the American just couldn’t get onto it and it ran through to Pumas goalkeeper Alex Padilla.

But that was pretty much it in terms of real goalscoring opportunities. There were half chances for Vancouver, but no-one getting on to the end of them and the teams headed in scoreless with just five shots between them, four in the Whitecaps favour, who also had the only shot on target through the first 45 minutes.

A cagey affair, but if the Whitecaps could keep the Mexican powerhouse off the scoresheet, they had a real chance of pulling off another upset in next week’s second leg. It was looking like a question of whether they would go there with a lead or not. Pumas on the other hand could take complete control of the tie with a goal. They just needed to create some goalscoring opportunities first.

The second half started in much the same vein, with the main excitement for the fans being the BC Place lights bizarrely keeping going off.

The Whitecaps decided to mix things up on the hour mark, bringing on a couple of speedsters in Jayden Nelson and Emmanuel Sabbi to stretch the game for the last half hour.

The game burst into life in the 71st minute. The Whitecaps won a corner on the left, and Nelson picked up a yellow card following an altercation with Padilla in the six yard box. As the corner came in from Berhalter, there was a scramble in the box, with no-one able to get a clean foot on the ball. White connected, Veselinovic poked it forward, and the ball deflected off a Pumas defender before trickling over the line and the ‘Caps had the lead.

GOAL 🏔️

The Vancouver Whitecaps go up 1-0 over Pumas UNAM as Brian White cleans up a scramble in the box 😎

Can #VWFC hold on for the win in this Leg 1 clash in the #ConcaChampions quarter-finals? 🏆 pic.twitter.com/xYehqbYCJp

— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) April 3, 2025

Nelson was pushed to the ground by Paolo Bennevendo in the aftermath after shushing Padilla, and Pumas did what they did on the island against Cavalry in defender and tried to get a video review of the goal. It was a clean goal and Vancouver had the precious lead.

The goal finally brought some life to Pumas, both on and off the pitch.

The Mexicans hadn’t threatened at all during the game, but from nowhere they put themselves in pole position in the tie in the 87th minute.

A Leonardo Suarez corner was played in to a wide open Carrasquilla at the back of the box and the Panamanian perfectly volleyed home to level things up on the night and give Pumas a huge away goal.

¡Carrasquilla empata el marcador para Los Pumas! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/69aUyx2m9k

— Concacaf Champions Cup (@TheChampions) April 3, 2025

The ‘Caps still felt they could go into the second leg with the lead, and they nearly grabbed it four minutes into stoppage time.

Edier Ocampo tore up the right wing and sent in an inviting cross, but Sabbi could only look on in agony as he rose superbly to head goalward, only for Padilla to tip it onto the right post and the danger was cleared.

There were some handbags to end the match, but a share of the spoils it was and an enticing, and what already feels like being a fiery, second leg goes in a week’s time.

Vancouver have gone done to Mexico and got the result they needed once already and there is no doubt that the mood in the group is that they can go down and do that again. They were the better team against Monterrey over the two legs and they were the better team against Pumas tonight. A semi-final against old foes LAFC or Messi’s Inter Miami the reward.

FINAL SCORE: Vancouver Whitecaps 1 – 1 Pumas UNAM

ATT: 12,356

SCORING SUMMARY:
71’ – VAN – Brian White
87’ – PUM – Adalberto Carrasquilla (Leonardo Suárez)

STATS:
Possession: VAN 51% – PUM 49%
Shots: VAN 8 – PUM 4
Shots on Goal: VAN 3 – PUM 2
Saves: VAN 1 – PUM 2
Fouls: VAN 7 – PUM 9
Offsides: VAN 0 – PUM 0
Corners: VAN 5 – PUM 2

CARDS (ALL YELLOW):
69’ – VAN – Jayden Nelson
81’ – PUM – Leonardo Suárez
90’+7 – PUM – Jorge Ruvalcaba
90’+7 – VAN – Tristan Blackmon

VANCOUVER: Yohei Takaoka; Édier Ocampo, Tristan Blackmon, Ranko Veselinović, Tate Johnson; Sebastian Berhalter, Ralph Priso (Emmanuel Sabbi 61’), J.C. Ngando (Jeevan Badwal 85’); Pedro Vite, Brian White (Daniel Ríos 75’), Ali Ahmed (Jayden Nelson 62’) [Substitutes not used: Adrían Zendejas, Isaac Boehmer, Belal Halbouni, Damir Kreilach, Giuseppe Bovalina, Mark O’Neill]

PUMAS: Alex Padilla; Nathan Silva, Paolo Bennevendo, Lisandro Magallán (Pablo Monroy 46’), Robert Ergas (Jorge Ruvalcaba 79’); Piero Quispe (Leonardo Suárez 73’), Rúben Duarte, José Caicedo, Santiago Trigos, Adalberto Carrasquilla (Ulises Rivas 90’); Guillermo Martínez (Rogelio Funes Mori 79’) [Substitutes not used: Pablo Lara, Alí Ávila, Ignacio Pussetto, Ángel Rico, Santiago López, Ángel Azuaje]

REACTION:

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS

JESPER SORENSEN

On the match:

“It’s the first leg of a two-leg tie, so you want to also protect yourself a little bit. We also knew what we were up against, a team that came here to defend well. We didn’t really have the quality in the crossing, but we got to the opportunities to get under them as we wanted, and then we got the opener. We didn’t give much away, which we don’t want to do much at home in the first leg. Great game, a little chess here and there because no one wants to open up too early… I think we played well.”

On the second leg in Mexico:

“There’s nothing to fear, we are playing up against a good team that now they will be at home. We also saw today what’s going to meet us [next Wednesday]. They will try to pull every trick out of the sleeve, like we saw the goalkeeper today, I hope that he survives. I think that he will. That’s how they play, and that’s also why it’s difficult. We’re also going to play in different conditions with the altitude down there. But we believe in ourselves and we’ve seen before that we can compete down there. So, we’ll try to do it again.”

STRIKER BRIAN WHITE

On the strength in depth from the team:

“It’s important that everyone who comes in off the bench knows their role, can add to the game and can have an impact, and I think we saw that today. Obviously, we got a little unlucky not to get a second goal there with Sabbi. So it’s important that whoever comes in knows their role and can execute. And I think we have full confidence in the team right now.”

DEFENDER TRISTAN BLACKMON

On what was learned vs Monterrey to use next week for Pumas:
“I think [the biggest lesson] was just that, we went down there and we went down early against Monterrey, but we still found a way. So we have that belief in ourselves, that no matter what happens, we’re going to try to push and find a way to get a result down there. And obviously, we’ve got to recover after this game, but looking forward to that match-up again.”