Vancouver Whitecaps Advance to Champions Cup Final After Stun Inter Miami

Fort Lauderdale, Florida – The Vancouver Whitecaps made history on Wednesday night, April 30, 2025, by defeating Inter Miami 3-1 in the second leg of their CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinal at Chase Stadium. This victory eliminated Lionel Messi‘s team from the tournament and secured the Whitecaps a spot in the final for the first time in the club’s history.

Vancouver advanced with a commanding 5-1 aggregate score after previously winning the first leg 2-0 at B.C. Place Stadium. In the final, set for June 1, the Whitecaps will face either Cruz Azul or Tigres UANL. The game marked a dominant performance by Vancouver, particularly midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, who was involved in all three goals on the night.

Despite facing a 2-0 aggregate deficit entering the match, Inter Miami took an early lead when Jordi Alba scored in the 9th minute, assisted by Luis Suárez. However, the Whitecaps responded spectacularly after halftime. Brian White equalized in the 51st minute, finishing a cross from Berhalter. Just two minutes later, Pedro Vite scored after a defensive error by Miami, putting Vancouver ahead.

Berhalter capped the comeback with a powerful strike in the 71st minute, confirming Vancouver’s dominance in the match. He accounted for all five goals that the Whitecaps scored in the semifinals but will miss the final due to a yellow card suspension.

“It’s a great group. From the first game until now, we’ve shown who we are, and we deserve this,” Berhalter said after the match. “We have the opportunity to win the title, and we’ll be there.”

With this win, Vancouver became the third Canadian club to reach the Concacaf final, joining Montreal in 2015 and Toronto in 2018. The Whitecaps lead Major League Soccer with 23 points after ten matches this season, demonstrating their potential as they aim for continental glory.

On the other hand, Inter Miami faced challenges as this defeat marked their third consecutive loss, the first under coach Javier Mascherano. Messi was held without a goal for four matches, raising questions about the effectiveness of Miami’s star-studded lineup.

“We need to improve. The last three games we’ve lost, we concede a lot of goals that we didn’t in the past,” Mascherano said. The stakes are high as the tournament approaches its conclusion, and the Whitecaps will look to build on their recent success in the final. With excitement building, the club aims to secure its place among the elite in continental soccer.