Lionel Messi stood near midfield, hands on hips, his face unreadable as the Vancouver Whitecaps danced a few feet away. The scoreboard read 3-1, but the aggregate told the fuller story: 5-1 to Vancouver. A semifinal dismantling. A warning shot from the Pacific Northwest.
Inter Miami, built on flash and pedigree, fell apart under pressure. And Vancouver, built on cohesion and legs, surged into its first-ever Concacaf Champions Cup final with the composure of a team that has quietly become the best in MLS.
Whitecaps’ rise, Miami’s unraveling
The night began with hope for Miami. Jordi Alba struck in the ninth minute, assisted by Messi and Luis Suárez, and for a flickering moment, Chase Stadium buzzed with belief.
But belief is not structure. Nor is it stamina. And by the 53rd minute, the Whitecaps had flipped the night—and the tie—on its head.
Brian White equalized off a Sebastian Berhalter assist in the 51st minute. Two minutes later, Pedro Vite’s deflected shot floated over Oscar Ustari. The crowd fell silent.
Berhalter, relentless all series, capped his man-of-the-match performance with a low finish in the 71st. The son of former USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter finished the tie with two goals and two assists, though a yellow card will suspend him for the final.
By full time, referee Hector Martinez didn’t even add stoppage time. There was no need. The game had long since slipped from Miami’s grasp.
Coach Javier Mascherano, still learning on the job, admitted the obvious. “You have to accept that they were better. They were much better than us. They are in the final and we aren’t.”
For Vancouver, it is vindication. First-year coach Jesper Sørensen’s side eliminated CF Monterrey and Pumas UNAM before toppling Messi’s Miami. Their intensity, fluidity, and depth now give them a shot at becoming the second modern-day MLS team to win this tournament—and a ticket to the FIFA Club World Cup.
For Inter Miami, the loss stings deeper. This was the first of five trophies in reach this season. With an aging core and back-to-back poor showings, the aura around Messi’s team is fraying. They’ve lost three straight for the first time in the Messi era. The margin last night wasn’t flattering—it was fair.
“We need to push and take a step forward and try to improve in all the facets,” Mascherano said. “Because I think this team can do much better.”
Maybe. But on this night, and over two legs, only one team looked built for the moment.
