Sebastian_berhalter_-_asn_top_-_celebrates_vs._miami_-_4-30-25 AFP
CONCACAF Champions Cup

Behind Berhalter & White, Vancouver rout Miami, advance to final

ASN's Brian Sciaretta breaks down the big Champions Cup semifinal where the Vancouver Whitecaps posted a blowout 5-1 aggregate win over Lionel Messi and Inter Miami 
BY Brian Sciaretta Posted
May 01, 2025
10:05 AM

THE VANCOUVER WHITECAPS are through to the CONCACAF Champions Cup with a comprehensive 3-1 away win over Inter Miami which amounted to a 5-1 blowout on aggregate. After Miami controlled the first 20 minutes, Vancouver seized control of the game to a defeat that is embarrassing for the big budget Floridian club.

There is a lot to unpack from this game, but clearly Vancouver’ remarkable story continue to gain steam. Unlike other MLS teams that have rolled into CONCACAF finals, Vancouver is also in great standing within MLS play too as the Caps sit atop the Western Conference table.

All of this comes from a team that was put up for sale, who didn’t hire head coach Jesper Sorensen until the preseason began in January, and whose best player in Ryan Gauld has been injured for the wins over Monterrey, Pumas, and Inter Miami.

In the second leg against Miami, it briefly looked as if a comeback was in progress for the hosts when Jordi Alba pulled one back. But Vancouver settled down, started generating chances, and were on the front foot at halftime despite the 1-0 score favoring Miami at that time.

The second half was a complete romp for Vancouver. Miami’s legs left them and it was the familiar faces of Sebastian Berhalter and Brian White leading the way. Those two combined for the first goal, Berhalter then fed Pedro Vite for the second goal, finally it was Berhalter who scored one for himself to complete the scoring.

 

That was that. Vancouver scored five goals across both legs. Miami scored just once in 180 minutes and, most importantly, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez looked ordinary.

The final will not take place until June 1. If Cruz Azul and Tigres play to a draw in their second leg on Thursday, the final will be in Vancouver. If there is a winner, it will likely be in Mexico. CONCACAF has the right to have it played in a neutral site (which seems fair) but that right was likely designed in case Messi and Miami made the final.

 

Vancouver’s story continues

 

Vancouver has never been considered one of the league’s “must watch” teams until now. They’re not just winning, they’re fun to watch. Jesper Sørensen seemed like an uninspiring choice as a head coach when he was announced in January, but now he looks like one of the best finds in the league.

This isn’t a team with marquee designated players, star coaches, a shiny new stadium, flashy ownership, or a huge fan-base. Instead, it is just a great team that operates well in a smart game plan that plays to the strengths of the players.

 

On top of it all, right now every single player on Vancouver is at the top of his game. There are no weak links right now.

It’s fair to ask if that is sustainable to have everyone at their best because that is indeed rare. But right now, they just needed it for one more game.

In the meantime, Vancouver is a team everyone will be wanting to watch.

 

Berhalter and White improve stock

 

From an American perspective, Sebastian Berhalter and Brian White were the big story (although Emmanuel Sabbi also played well). Before the game, White was named the MLS player of the month for April. Then during the game, he scored the goal that put it out of reach.

While White has been good for many years, Berhalter’s rise is one that few saw coming. He hasn’t just been good, he has a very strong case to be considered the best player in the Champions Cup through four rounds. But his extraordinary form also has been carrying over to MLS play, and he was also the MOTM on Sunday in a 3-1 win over Minnesota where he came off the bench at halftime.

 

It’s raised unavoidable talk for both players in relation to the national team. For each player, the case is a bit different.

White has the better path for two reasons. First, he has been in with the team under Mauricio Pochettino for January camp and the Nations League. We know he is on the radar. But lately, he’s making his case better than his competition. He still might fall short of getting call-ups leading to the World Cup, but he is making the decision hard. Ricardo Pepi is likely seen as the top choice, but he’s been injured since January. After him, it is wide open. Josh Sargent had a great season for Norwich, but his ongoing struggles with the USMNT are a concern as he hasn’t even scored internationally since 2019. Folarin Balogun hasn’t played well in months and his minutes are very limited right now.  Haji Wright is almost exclusively a winger right now. White is in much better form than Patrick Agyemang. Damion Downs is certainly intriguing in the 2.Bundesliga with Cologne, but has never been capped.

This isn’t to say that White will win a job with the USMNT leading up to the World Cup, but the job is winnable.

 

For Sebastian Berhalter, it’s a little trickier. For sure, the USMNT is not playing well and no one has (or should have) a lock job yet. But there are still a lot of good players in the mix who haven’t been part of the team’s problems. Aidan Morris wasn’t with the team at the Copa America or the Nations League. Tanner Tessmann is still relatively new to the USMNT and has been playing for Lyon. Johnny Cardoso hasn’t had a long look yet. Malik Tillman has also had a limited role with the team. If James Sands returns from his injury, he was in very good form as recently as February. This doesn’t even include the mainstays such as Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, and Yunus Musah who haven’t been great internationally but who also have a lot of experience. This doesn’t even include Gio Reyna, who has been around the team for years but is in career limbo.

This doesn’t mean Pochettino won’t call-up Berhalter to see what he can do. He would be justified in looking at any player right now who is playing well and who brings passion to his team. But it is a harder path right now to stay with the team.

 

But who knows? Pochettino might feel it is necessary to make bold choices right now – and that always benefits outsiders who are playing very well.

 

Berhalter’s suspended, Gauld needed

 

Looking ahead to the final, the bad news for Vancouver is that Sebastian Berhalter will be suspended given that he picked up two yellow cards across both games against Miami.

This is a huge blow for Vancouver given how well Berhalter has played. No matter what happens in the final, he will likely make the team of the tournament.

 

The best scenario for Vancouver is that Ryan Gauld returns in May to allow him to play the final. He has been their best player and he could give some hope to Vancouver in what could be a difficult game in Mexico.

 

Inter Miami’s blues

 

This was a nightmare for Inter Miami. These Champions Cup games are the most visible games for Lionel Messi outside of the playoffs and every single fear about having an old team turned into a reality. It wasn’t just that Miami lost, they looked and played like a team that was too old.

Miami’s defense is poor but part of that is that the defenders are asked to do too much. Effective defense is an entire team effort, but for Miami too many players are not capable of defending well over 90 minutes. On top of that, you then add an average backline. The result is a disaster.

It doesn’t bode well for Miami the rest of the season that at the end of April, age is starting to show. Suarez has cooled off. Messi couldn’t get it done against Vancouver. Alba can attack and defend, but not both (it becomes a choice). Busquets can’t shield the backline.

 

Since arriving in South Florida, Messi has scored a lot of goals and won a lot of games but the losses in big games really stand out and drive the narrative. First was the loss to Monterrey in last year’s Champions Cup. Then it was the loss to Atlanta in the first round of the playoffs. Now it is the losses to Vancouver. Sure, the Supporters Shield and Leagues Cup triumph are nice, but no playoff series wins, no wins over Liga MX teams, and the Vancouver blowout loss with a final on the line are things that should not happen to teams that are attempting to transform the sport.

Messi isn’t the problem, of course. His numbers are terrific and he is 37 years old. The problem is the decision making around him. Supplementing his team and coaching staff with his friends and former teammates only adds to the problem. Messi is great but he is old. Is the correct decision then to get even older?

This series against Vancouver was telling in that it was far from an upset. Vancouver was just better in every area.

 

Win for MLS?

 

Some have speculated that this result was not in the best interests of the league in that Don Garber was probably hoping to see Lionel Messi play in a final in front of a huge crowd against a big Mexican opponent. Such a stage would be a ratings bonanza and would attract interest from around the globe. That might very well have been Garber’ preference as a final with Vancouver will only attract a fraction of interest.

 

But that is a short-term vision. In the bigger picture, what happened on Wednesday night only enhances what the league and its teams have been striving towards for the last 20 years. The MLS didn’t want to have a “retirement league” label. And there was plenty of data pushing that. The average age of Designated Player was falling into the mid 20’s. There has been a lot of successful stories of homegrown players getting meaningful minutes and then earning impressive transfers. Young DP and U-22 Initiative rules have been very successful in attracting top young players. In the period after Beckham but before Messi, most of the older DP’s that fit the “retirement league” image were woefully unsuccessful, and the long list includes Pirlo, Gerrard, Lampard, Schweinsteiger, and Marquez. Even players who put up good numbers like Drogba or Zlatan didn’t come close to MLS Cup.

This forced teams to be smarter and get younger. NYCFC was bad with Pirlo and Lampard, but then went out to find a player like Taty Castellanos who delivered the team an MLS Cup and would go on to Europe where he would score four goals against Real Madrid and get cap-tied to Argentina.

Messi coming into this league was a huge boost for the visibility of its games. But the fact that things have not been easy for him or his other aging friends is also a good thing that should not be overlooked. 

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