VANCOUVER — The home team might not be the main attraction for what is expected to be a capacity crowd when the Vancouver Whitecaps face Inter Miami FC Thursday night in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinal.
Many of the fans coming to BC Place Stadium will be excited about the prospect of seeing soccer legend Lionel Messi play in Vancouver.
Whitecaps head coach Jesper Sorensen shrugged off his team taking second billing in its own building.
“Lionel Messi for the past 20 years has been maybe the best player all time in this sport, and he deserves the praise he gets,” Sorensen said after training Thursday. “I also would say tomorrow it’s not going to be Vancouver Whitecaps against Lionel Messi. It’s going to be Miami against Vancouver.”
Messi disappointed many fans when he didn’t travel to Vancouver last year for Miami’s regular-season Major League Soccer game against the Whitecaps.
On Tuesday, Miami posted a photo on Instagram of the Argentine superstar boarding an airplane with the caption, “Next Stop: Vancouver.”
Vancouver midfielder Ali Ahmed knows the challenges of playing against Messi, having faced him as a member of Canada’s national team.
“You have to be conscious of where he is, not give him any breathing room in the final third,” said Ahmed. “We know he can make plays that not many can.
“We’ve got some great players on your team that we know are going to put up a fight. It’s going to be a collective team effort, not letting him have a fun game. We’re capable.”
Even if Messi makes the trip, there is no guarantee that he will start or how much time he will log on BC Place’s artificial turf.
Defender Tristan Blackmon, the hero of Vancouver’s quarterfinal win over Mexican side Pumas UNAM, said the Whitecaps can’t become too focused on one player, even if he is one of the best in history.
"You have to change if he’s on the field just because of what kind of player he is and what he’s able to do on the ball,” said Blackmon. “Whether he’s here or not, we’re focusing on what we’re going to do.
“At the end of the day, we’re focusing on us and how we’re going to be on the ball, and hopefully we can take it to them.”
The second game of the series will be Wednesday at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.
The winner will advance to the CONCACAF Champions Cup final against either Cruz Azul or Tigres UNAL on June 1.
The Whitecaps will be playing without captain Ryan Gauld (knee), but fullback Sam Adekugbe (quad strain) and forward Jayden Nelson (left hamstring strain) are expected to return to the lineup.
The Whitecaps have travelled an exciting road to the semifinals.
In both their series against Pumas and Monterrey, the Whitecaps tied the first leg at home, then scored in extra time to draw the second leg and advance on away goals.
“The road so far has been winding,” said Sorensen. “We have dealt with a lot of adversity on the way.
“We have tried really hard to win the first game at home. We haven’t managed, but we’ve managed to come through anyway. We should not be too focused on the first game. What I think is important is try to seize the moment and play our best.”
The Whitecaps have the best record in MLS and lead the Western Conference with a 6-1-2 record for 20 points. They are second in league scoring with 17 goals.
Miami, which has played one less game, are the league’s only team without a loss. They sit third in the East and fourth overall with a 5-0-3 record.
Star striker Brian White said the players will be able to block out the hype surrounding the game once the opening whistle blows.
“Once you step across those white lines, it’s all about the game,” said White, who has scored six goals in MLS play this season. “You’re not worried about who you are playing. You’re just trying to execute the game, find the best you can and get the result you need.”
The Whitecaps reached the tournament semifinals back in 2017.
The CONCACAF Champions Cup features the best teams from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean to crown a regional champion and to qualify for the next FIFA Club World Cup.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 23, 2025.
Jim Morris, The Canadian Press
