Vancouver Whitecaps unfazed by Messi spotlight ahead of semifinal clash with Miami

Jim Morris · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 24, 2025 12:28 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 minutes ago

The location squad mightiness not beryllium the main attraction for what is expected to beryllium a capableness assemblage erstwhile the Vancouver Whitecaps face Inter Miami FC Thursday nighttime successful the archetypal limb of their CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinal.

A assemblage of implicit 52,000 is expected for the lucifer with galore of the fans coming to B.C. Place Stadium excited astir the imaginable of seeing shot fable Lionel Messi play successful Vancouver.

Whitecaps head manager Jesper Sorensen shrugged disconnected his squad taking 2nd billing successful its ain building.

"Lionel Messi for the past 20 years has been possibly the champion subordinate each clip successful this sport, and helium deserves the praise helium gets," Sorensen said aft grooming Thursday. "I besides would accidental time it's not going to beryllium Vancouver Whitecaps against Lionel Messi. It's going to beryllium Miami against Vancouver."

Messi disappointed galore fans erstwhile helium didn't question to Vancouver past twelvemonth for Miami's regular-season Major League Soccer crippled against the Whitecaps.

This year, the Argentinian superstar was connected the transportation erstwhile helium practised with his squad Thursday day astatine the Whitecaps training installation astatine the University of British Columbia.

Miami manager Javier Mascherano didn't springiness immoderate hints connected whether Messi would commencement oregon however overmuch clip helium volition log connected B.C. Place's artificial turf.

"It's a precise important crippled for us, possibly 1 of the important games for the past of the club," helium told a quality conference. "We are ready.

"I don't similar to speech earlier the crippled astir who is disposable oregon who isn't. Tomorrow you volition see."

The lucifer itself whitethorn dictate Messi's participation. If Miami jumps retired to an aboriginal pb successful the opening limb of the two-game series, Messi whitethorn spot constricted action. If the Whitecaps go ahead, and Miami needs to people goals connected the road, helium could spot much playing time.

"We don't cognize what is going to hap successful the game," said Mascherano. "We cognize that we person a crippled that is 180 minutes. Tomorrow we are going to play the archetypal fractional of the game. 

"It's important to play a bully game, effort to score. Obviously, the thought is to effort to travel present and to triumph the game."

WATCH | Whitecaps fans anxious to spot Messi play:

Vancouver midfielder Ali Ahmed knows the challenges of playing against Messi, having faced him arsenic a subordinate of Canada's nationalist team.

"You person to beryllium conscious of wherever helium is, not springiness him immoderate breathing country successful the last third," said Ahmed. "We cognize helium tin marque plays that not galore can.

"We've got immoderate large players connected your squad that we cognize are going to enactment up a fight. It's going to beryllium a corporate squad effort, not letting him person a amusive game. We're capable."

Defender Tristan Blackmon, the leader of Vancouver's quarterfinal triumph implicit Mexican broadside Pumas UNAM, said the Whitecaps can't go excessively focused connected 1 player.

"You person to alteration if he's connected the tract conscionable due to the fact that of what benignant of subordinate helium is and what he's capable to bash connected the ball," said Blackmon. "Whether he's present oregon not, we're focusing connected what we're going to do.

"At the extremity of the day, we're focusing connected america and however we're going to beryllium connected the ball, and hopefully we tin instrumentality it to them."

The 2nd crippled of the bid volition beryllium Wednesday astatine Chase Stadium successful Fort Lauderdale.

The victor volition beforehand to the CONCACAF Champions Cup last against either Cruz Azul oregon Tigres UNAL connected June 1.

The Whitecaps will beryllium playing without skipper Ryan Gauld (knee), but fullback Sam Adekugbe (quad strain) and guardant Jayden Nelson (left hamstring strain) are expected to instrumentality to the lineup.

The Whitecaps have travelled an breathtaking roadworthy to the semifinals.

In some their bid against Pumas and Monterrey, the Whitecaps tied the archetypal limb astatine home, past scored successful other clip to gully the 2nd limb and beforehand connected distant goals.

The Whitecaps have the champion grounds successful MLS and pb the Western Conference with a 6-1-2 grounds for 20 points. They are 2nd successful league scoring with 17 goals.

Miami, which has played 1 little game, are the league's lone squad without a loss. They beryllium 3rd successful the East and 4th wide with a 5-0-3 record.

Star striker Brian White said the players volition beryllium capable to artifact retired the hype surrounding the crippled erstwhile the opening whistle blows.

"Once you measurement crossed those achromatic lines, it's each astir the game," said White, who has scored six goals successful MLS play this season. "You're not disquieted astir who you are playing. You're conscionable trying to execute the game, find the champion you tin and get the effect you need."

The Whitecaps reached the tourney semifinals backmost successful 2017.

The CONCACAF Champions Cup features the champion teams from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean to crown a determination champion and to suffice for the adjacent FIFA Club World Cup.