The stars were out, the lights were bright, and the Vancouver Whitecaps delivered in the opening leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup semi-finals against Inter Miami.
A crowd of 53,837 — the largest in the Whitecaps’ MLS-era — was on hand at BC Place as Vancouver frustrated Lionel Messi and shut down Miami to earn a 2-0 first leg advantage.
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Whitecaps midfielder Andres Cubas was instrumental in marking Messi and getting under his skin throughout the match. The Paraguayan international exchanged pleasantries with Messi following a first half challenge that Messi did not agree with.
“Yeah it was just a situation that was part of the game,” Cubas told reporters via a translator following the match. “He got mad over a foul, it’s fine, it’s nothing. Just stuff that happens.”
Messi had some words for Cubas in the first half of the Concacaf Champions Cup semis vs Vancouver 👀 pic.twitter.com/eXe0Ga0naJ
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) April 25, 2025
The 37-year-old Messi was cheered by fans when he was introduced during player introductions, but the warm welcome didn’t last long. Messi was met with a chorus of boos every time he touched the ball. When Messi walked off the pitch at full-time, he appeared to gesture to Vancouver fans, perhaps hinting that there’s still a second leg to be played.
Whitecaps fans: Yelling insults at Messi
Messi : Next game I’ll see you
Don’t wake the Lion-el#youvebeenwarned pic.twitter.com/hFltCpS2YV— Amrit Sidhu (@amrit2213) April 25, 2025
The Whitecaps will travel to South Florida on Sunday following their MLS away match against Minnesota United on Sunday afternoon. The second leg of the semi-finals against Miami will be played on Wednesday, April 30, at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.
Miami will have to score at least two goals because Vancouver has a two-goal advantage. If Vancouver scores just one goal, Miami would need to score four times to advance, because of the away goals rule. If Miami scores the only two goals, the match would have two 15 minute periods of extra time. If still tied, penalty kicks would decide the winner.
The other semi-final features a pair of Mexican clubs. Cruz Azul and Tigres UNAL are currently tied 1-1 after the first leg with Cruz Azul having the away goal advantage.
The Concacaf Champions Cup final will be played in a single leg on Sunday, June 1.
Whitecaps players are hoping that their results in the Concacaf Champions Cup and quick start to the MLS season will help bring in bigger home crowds this season. Canadian international Jayden Nelson wants to see BC Place packed on a regular basis.
“For me it should be like this all the time,” Nelson said. “Yeah, it’s a big event for the city, but now we’re really making the steps forward as a football club. We’re getting the performances and we’re getting the results. I think more fans should come out and support us.
“It was amazing. We hope to have more games like this.”
Across all competitions this season and prior to Thursday night, the Whitecaps’ largest crowd at BC Place was the MLS home opener on March 2, with 21,124 fans.
A total of 104,872 fans filled BC Place for two Miami matches in less than a year. Whitecaps leading goal scorer Brian White is hopeful that the team’s performance will convert casual fans.
“It’s special,” White said. “Obviously we don’t usually get this number of people out at games. Hopefully they like the product they saw out on the field. Hopefully they’ll continue to come to see the Vancouver Whitecaps.”
Vancouver currently leads all MLS clubs this season with a 6-1-2 record. They’re also first in MLS with 17 goals scored and have the best goal differential at +11. White is tied for second in the league with six goals scored. Nelson is tied for third in MLS with four assists, and goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka is tied for the MLS lead with five clean sheets.
They’ve done it despite Ryan Gauld missing significant time due to injury, as the Whitecaps’ other difference makers have stepped up. And so has the supporting cast.
Tate Johnson, Vancouver’s 19-year-old rookie left-back, just went toe-to-toe with Messi. Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba, and Sergio Busquets were kept quiet. The Whitecaps are officially a must-watch team.
Pedro Vite just did it to Lionel Messi my word 💀#VWFC | #ConcaChampions pic.twitter.com/gAFL6xHcYT
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) April 25, 2025
“I think everyone had fun tonight,” Nelson added. “If you want to have fun, you should come out to Whitecaps games, because we’re getting results and we’re performing. You have guys that make you get up out of your seat.
“Yeah, just come out to support us.”