Vancouver Whitecaps Stun Inter Miami in Concacaf Champions Cup Semifinal
In a thrilling turn of events, the Vancouver Whitecaps delivered a stunning performance against Inter Miami, securing a 3-1 victory in the second leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal on Wednesday night. This victory not only dashed the hopes of Lionel Messi‘s squad to reach the tournament’s final but also showcased the Whitecaps’ resilience and strategic prowess.
The match, held at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, saw Brian White and Pedro Vite score two minutes apart, turning the tide in favor of Vancouver. The Whitecaps, who advanced with a 5-1 aggregate, are now set to face either Cruz Azul or Tigres UNAL in the Champions Cup final on June 1.
Inter Miami entered Wednesday’s match with a daunting task ahead, trailing 2-0 in aggregate after being shut out in the first leg last Thursday. To advance, they needed to win by at least three goals in regulation. However, Messi was held without a goal for the fourth consecutive match, a rare occurrence for the football legend.
Historically, four MLS clubs, including Inter Miami last week, have lost the first leg of a semifinal by a 2-0 score on the road. Unfortunately for Miami, no team has ever come back from such a deficit to advance to the final. The Whitecaps quickly dashed any hopes of a comeback in the second half, erasing a one-goal deficit within minutes.
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The equalizer came in the 51st minute when Sebastian Berhalter found White, and just two minutes later, Vite sent a deflection past Oscar Ustari. Berhalter, who had an assist on the first two goals, sealed the game with a shot from the center of the box into the bottom left corner in the 71st minute.
Berhalter has been instrumental in the Whitecaps’ success, accounting for all five of their goals in the semifinals after scoring one in the opener. However, he will miss the championship due to yellow card accumulation, having been shown one in the first half after a foul on Miami’s Tadeo Allende.
Whitecaps coach Jesper Sorensen praised Inter Miami, saying, “They have a great team, and it’s not always easy for them because they have these players who come in with all the pressure on them.”
Inter Miami’s lone goal came from Jordi Alba, who scored his first goal of the season nine minutes into the game on a feed from Luis Suarez. Despite several opportunities, Miami couldn’t capitalize further, marking their third straight loss, a first in the Messi era.
Reflecting on the defeat, Miami coach Javier Mascherano stated, “We need to improve, we have to look forward, we need to learn from this and the last week. Today the feeling is really, really bad. The last three games we’ve lost, we concede a lot of goals that we didn’t in the past.”
Meanwhile, the Whitecaps are riding high, leading the race for the MLS Supporters’ Shield, awarded to the league’s top team in points during the regular season. Under the guidance of manager Jesper Sørensen, they have amassed 23 points after 10 matches in the 34-game MLS season.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Originally Written by: ESPN
