Messi helpless as Whitecaps break records and crush Miami’s momentum | OneFootball

BC Place was on fire. In a record-breaking evening in front of 53,837 fans, Vancouver Whitecaps defeated Inter Miami CF 2-0 to gain the advantage in the first leg of the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal.

The match was the first-ever between the two clubs in continental competition. First win between the teams in the tournament. From the early stages, Vancouver Whitecaps were going to set the tempo. On one of the earliest chances, Pedro Vite crossed Édier Ocampo on the far side. The Colombian put a cross into the box, but the ball drifted just beyond Brian White, who was unable to reach it.

Brian White's vibe | Jeff Vinnick/GettyImages

White nearly made amends minutes later when he was in behind the defence and played Daniel Ríos, whose effort was cleared off the goal line by 'keeper Oscar Ustari.

White opens the scoring

Inter Miami pushed back and got as far as taking a near-score before the 20-minute point with a well-worked passage ending with Lionel Messi dropping back to attempt a shot. The defense of Vancouver, led by Veselinović and Tristan Blackmon, came to diffuse the danger.

Soon after, in the 24th minute, was the game-changer. After a slick passing move including Sebastian Berhalter and Pedro Vite, the Ecuadorian midfielder released a beautifully weighted cross into the box. Brian White outmuscled his defender and floated a strong header into the net.

With that feat, White became five in Concacaf Champions Cup history for Vancouver, equaling Cristian Techera as the club's all-time leading scorer in the tournament.

Whitecaps maintained pressure following the opener. In the first half, Daniel Ríos nearly doubled the score with a header from a corner kick, yet Ustari saved it. At the opposite end, both Lionel Messi and Pedro Vite tried the goalkeepers from distance, but neither was successful. At halftime, Vancouver was ahead and demonstrating emotional poise.

Decided on the counterattack

Messi distraught at not being able to make a difference | Rich Lam/GettyImages

The second half started more balanced, with both sides looking for openings. Berhalter showed up in the attack, finding space near the top of the box after a counter led by White, but his shot went straight into Ustari’s hands.

Messa had a great chance with a free kick in the 70th minute but it struck the wall and fell into Yohei Takaoka's hands. Emmanuel Sabbi reacted with a forceful shot cutting in from the left side, deflected wide for a corner.

Pedro Vite created a good chance down the right side, sending Berhalter to the top of the box, but his shot sailed over the crossbar. Inter Miami kept on pushing, but Vancouver's defense was solid.

Whitecaps scored at the 85th minute. Sabbi passed to JC Ngando who noticed Jayden Nelson open on the left after an instant counterattack. The low cross located Sebastian Berhalter open inside the box. The midfielder closed with his right foot to score and make Canadian side's score lead wider.

Miami concedes struggles

After the defeat, Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano admitted that winning individual battles was the turning point.

"It's tough when you lose the duels, you know?" he clarified. "It was tough for us to win the duels. So, in the end, soccer is like that, right? When you play against a player, you have to win the duels. Otherwise, it's tough to win the team."

Inter Miami then have to reverse the deficit in the second leg on April 30 at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. To make the final, they need to win by two goals to take the game to extra time or three goals to qualify outright.

White leads scoring race

With his goal, Brian White has four Concacaf Champions Cup goals so far in this season and finds himself in third place in the scoring list after Lionel Messi (5) and Ángel Sepúlveda (6). It is a display of the striker's top class form as he also climbs atop Vancouver's all-time standings within the competition.

Simultaneously, Whitecaps head into the second leg with a firm grip, riding the confidence of bottling one of the season's most powerful attacks. Now, the task is to stay on target and win the berth to the final, with a tough arena to contend in Florida.