Inter Miami CF have work to do after falling 2-0 to Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the first leg of their 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal at BC Place on Wednesday night. The South Florida side will now aim for a comeback in the decisive second leg next Wednesday, April 30, at Chase Stadium.
Inter Miami took the pitch with Óscar Ustari in goal and a back line of Marcelo Weigandt, Maximiliano Falcón, Noah Allen, and Jordi Alba. In midfield, Sergio Busquets and Federico Redondo paired up centrally, while Tadeo Allende and Telasco Segovia provided width. Up top, Lionel Messi captained the side alongside longtime strike partner Luis Suárez.
The Whitecaps struck first in the 24th minute through Brian White. After a lively start that saw Vancouver repeatedly challenge Miami’s defense, a clever passing sequence between Sebastian Berhalter and Pedro Vite set up a delicate chipped cross from Vite. White rose highest to power home a header and give the hosts a deserved 1-0 lead.
Before that, Vancouver had threatened twice early on — Édier Ocampo’s driven cross narrowly missed White in the opening minutes, and Daniel Ríos had a shot cleared off the line after a great setup by White.
Inter Miami nearly answered just before the 20-minute mark. A slick give-and-go at the top of the box freed Messi behind the Whitecaps defense, but a desperate clearance from Ranko Veselinović and Tristan Blackmon snuffed out the danger before Miami could find the tap-in.
Despite moments of promise from Miami, the first half ended with Vancouver holding their slim advantage.
Both teams came out aggressively in the second half. Berhalter tested Ustari from distance, while Messi fired a free kick into the wall in the 70th minute. Emmanuel Sabbi and Vite created more chaos for Vancouver, but their chances went begging.
However, the Whitecaps finally doubled their lead in the 85th minute after another lightning-fast break. Sabbi set up J.C. Ngando, who threaded a pass for Jayden Nelson. Nelson’s cutback found Berhalter surging into the box, and he smashed the finish past Ustari to make it 2-0 — a major boost heading into the second leg.
Now, Inter Miami faces an uphill battle when the two sides meet again next Wednesday at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, at 8 p.m. ET. It will mark Vancouver’s first-ever visit to South Florida.
Before then, Miami will return to MLS regular-season action, hosting FC Dallas this Sunday, April 27, at 5 p.m. ET at Chase Stadium, hoping to regain momentum ahead of the decisive Champions Cup clash.
