Whitecaps score upset, advance to CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinal

The Canadian Press

· Posted: Mar 13, 2025 12:40 PM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

The Vancouver Whitecaps toppled a elephantine connected Wednesday.

Going up against Spanish superstar Sergio Ramos and his CF Monterrey teammates successful a hostile Mexican stadium, the 'Caps knew they were successful for a pugnacious test.

Instead of wilting nether the pressure, Vancouver roseate to the challenge, earning a 2-2 gully that moved the nine connected to the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup.

"I deliberation that's what we showed tonight, that we were up for the situation and that we tin tango with them here," said goalkeeper Isaac Boehmer.

The Major League Soccer nine took a triumph connected distant goals aft the two-legged round-of-16 bid finished with a 3-3 aggregate score. The 'Caps and Rayados besides battled to a 1-1 gully astatine B.C. Place connected March 5.

The Whitecaps were granted the triumph due to the fact that they scored 2 distant goals successful the series, portion Monterrey had one.

Vancouver is conscionable the 2nd MLS squad since 2008 to bushed a LIGA MX broadside to beforehand successful the Champions Cup, pursuing Columbus Crew who accomplished the feat against Tigres successful the 2024 quarterfinals.

"We knew it was going to beryllium pugnacious coming down to Mexico," said 'Caps striker Brian White, who came disconnected the seat to people successful the 78th minute. "A pugnacious opponent, truthful recognition to the boys for getting the effect that we needed."

Vancouver played without skipper Ryan Gauld connected Wednesday aft the Scottish attacking midfielder went down successful the team's 2-0 triumph implicit CF Montreal successful MLS play past Saturday.

The Whitecaps person said Gauld suffered a near genu capsule sprain and volition beryllium retired "a fewer weeks."

"We person a batch of camaraderie. We person large extent connected this squad and we cognize that," Boehmer said. "So guys being out, we cognize immoderate young guys tin measurement up and bash the job, which is important erstwhile you person a [packed] schedule."

Monterrey's Sergio Canales opened the scoring successful the 4th minute, collecting a transverse into the container and slotting it successful past Boehmer without hesitation.

The Whitecaps regrouped and began to power play precocious successful the archetypal half, past carried the momentum into the second.

"We cognize that we tin play fast, we cognize that we person immoderate players that tin truly determination the shot fast, get to the close spots we privation to spell to and past we tin onslaught from there," said Vancouver's caput coach, Jesper Sørensen. "Really, we succeeded with that successful the 2nd fractional and I was truly blessed with that."

Pedro Vite acceptable up the equalizer successful the 57th minute, chipping a walk to Ocampo. The Ecuadorean wingback blasted a changeable past Monterrey keeper Esteban Andrada to level the people astatine 1-1 with his archetypal extremity arsenic a Whitecap.

White — who came connected for Daniel Rios successful the 58th infinitesimal — gave Vancouver the pb successful the 78th, sending a right-footed changeable successful from adjacent the punishment spot to springiness Vancouver a 2-1 lead. It was the American striker's 4th extremity crossed each competitions this season.

"The shot conscionable seemed to popular retired to maine and I was capable to crook and get the decorativeness right," White said. "So conscionable blessed I was capable to enactment that extremity successful and marque it hard for them to travel retired of this."

Monterrey came wrong inches successful the 81st infinitesimal erstwhile Canales sent a shot conscionable wide of the station disconnected a escaped kick. Nelson Deossa Suarez got the rebound and directed it connected net, lone to spot the changeable ping disconnected the crossbar.

Rayados were talented a punishment footwear successful the seventh infinitesimal of wounded clip erstwhile officials determined aft a video reappraisal that Vancouver defender Ranko Veselinovic took a shot disconnected his manus wrong the punishment area.

Ramos — who did not question to Vancouver for the archetypal limb of the bid — took the punishment kick. He stutter stepped, past sent a rolling changeable into the bottommost country of the nett to level the people astatine 2-2.

Sorensen said helium had "only praise" for his squad aft Wednesday's result.

"I deliberation the bully happening is that the players ever play with the close intentions," helium said. "The mode we privation to play, we ever effort and execute. Sometimes it works amended than others. And shot is besides a crippled of mistakes. But I deliberation we are gathering confidence. And that's a bully happening due to the fact that past we tin go a amended team."

The Whitecaps are present undefeated successful their past six outings crossed each competitions (4-0-2) and volition look to commencement the MLS run with a 4th consecutive league triumph erstwhile they sojourn FC Dallas connected Saturday.

It's been a engaged commencement to the campaign, but 1 the squad is relishing, White said.

"I deliberation it's been fun. I deliberation everyone's truly been enjoying it," helium said. "Obviously it's tough, it's a batch of games. But I deliberation we person specified a bully radical that everyone's truly enjoying the grind and we're getting bully results. I deliberation we're performing well."

Vancouver volition look either chap LIGA MX broadside Pumas UNAM oregon Costa Rica's LD Alajulense successful the quarterfinals.

There's nary penchant betwixt the two, Boehmer said.

"Wherever we've got to go, we conscionable privation to get the occupation done."

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