Vancouver, April 25, 2025 — The Vancouver Whitecaps landed a haymaker on Inter Miami’s CONCACAF Champions Cup dreams last night, carving out a 2-0 win in the first leg of their semifinal clash at BC Place. A record crowd of 53,837, buzzing with anticipation for Lionel Messi’s Canadian debut, watched the home side outmuscle and outsmart the MLS juggernauts, setting up a tense second leg in Florida.
The Whitecaps struck first in the 24th minute. A slick passing triangle on the edge of Miami’s box caught the visitors flat-footed. Brian White, Vancouver’s red-hot striker, rose above the fray to nod home a pinpoint cross, sending the stadium into a frenzy. The goal marked White’s 10th in 13 matches across all competitions this season, a stat that’s got U.S. national team scouts scribbling notes.
Miami, despite boasting Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Luis Suárez, looked rattled. Their high-priced attack, which had torn through LAFC in the quarterfinals, sputtered against Vancouver’s relentless press. The Whitecaps’ midfield trio of Andres Cubas, Pedro Vite, and Sebastian Berhalter ran circles around Miami’s sluggish core, snapping up loose balls and clogging passing lanes. A Busquets shot in the first half, aimed at keeper Yohei Takaoka’s goal, was waved off for offside, summing up Miami’s night—close, but no cigar.
The dagger came late. In the 85th minute, substitutes Jean-Claude Ngando and Jayden Nelson linked up on a counterattack that sliced Miami’s defense like a hot knife. Nelson’s diagonal ball found Berhalter, who rifled a low shot past keeper Oscar Ustari. The stadium erupted again, fans sensing a rare chance to topple a giant. Berhalter, booked later for a hard tackle, walked off with a yellow card and a hero’s swagger.
Miami’s Javier Mascherano, the former Barcelona hardman now coaching the Herons, didn’t sugarcoat it postgame. He called the loss a wake-up call, noting his team needs at least two goals in the second leg on April 30 at Chase Stadium to keep their final hopes alive. The away goals rule looms large, giving Vancouver a cushy edge. The winner of the series faces either Cruz Azul or Tigres UANL in the June 1 final.
Messi, playing all 90 minutes, drew gasps with his trademark dribbles but couldn’t crack Vancouver’s backline. The 37-year-old, in his final contract year with Miami, has five goals in five CONCACAF matches this season but was held scoreless, a rare blank in a campaign where he’s been the Herons’ heartbeat.
Vancouver’s new boss, Jesper Sørensen, has the Whitecaps humming. Undefeated in MLS play and now with a foot in the CONCACAF final, they’re defying expectations. Their defensive grit—conceding just six goals in nine MLS matches—stifled Miami’s star-studded attack, which had rolled to a 3-2 aggregate win over LAFC earlier this month.
The match wasn’t without hiccups. Cubas and Vite, both subbed late, limped to the bench, raising questions about their fitness for the second leg. Miami, meanwhile, leaned on Fafa Picault, a former Whitecap, but his pace on the wing fizzled against his old club’s disciplined shape.
Last night’s result flips the script on a Miami side that’s dropped just one match under Mascherano this year. Vancouver, riding a wave of confidence after eliminating Mexican heavyweights Monterrey and Pumas in earlier rounds, heads to Fort Lauderdale with a two-goal lead and a clear plan: absorb pressure, hit on the break, and keep Messi quiet.
The second leg kicks off April 30 in Fort Lauderdale. The CONCACAF Champions Cup final is set for June 1.