Whitecaps Crush Inter Miami’s Final Hopes in Stunning Semifinal Win

Bullets:

• The Vancouver Whitecaps defeated Inter Miami 3-1 in the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup’s semifinal.
• Jesper Sorensen’s side won the series 5-1 on aggregate after overturning an early Miami goal with three second-half strikes.
• Sebastian Berhalter starred with a goal and two assists but will miss the final due to yellow card accumulation.

The Vancouver Whitecaps defeated Inter Miami 3-1 in the CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinal’s second leg on Wednesday night, knocking Lionel Messi’s squad out of the tournament with a 5-1 aggregate win. 

The loss means Miami will not feature in the final, set for June 1.

Head Coach Sorensen: “We Didn’t Need to Rush Things” 

Despite the promising start shown by the visitors, Vancouver took control in the second half, scoring twice in just two minutes to flip the script. 

Head coach Jesper Sorensen noted,

We did ourselves a very good favor last week. Because we didn’t need to rush things (tonight), and we didn’t need to go panicking because we were up 2-0 (in aggregate).

Brian White and Pedro Vite both found the net early in the second half, overturning Jordi Alba’s early goal and putting the match firmly out of reach for Miami. Sebastian Berhalter added a third later in the game, capping off a standout night.

Sorensen said,

They have a great team. And it’s not always easy for them because they have these players who come in with all the pressure on them.

Miami came into the second leg needing a miracle, down 0-2 from the first match, and requiring a three-goal win to advance. 

They started well when Messi set up Alba for his first goal of the season just nine minutes in. However, despite key passes from Luis Suarez, Miami couldn’t find their rhythm. Suarez, in particular, struggled in front of the goal and extended his scoring drought to ten matches.

The second half unraveled quickly for Miami. Berhalter set up White’s equalizer in the 51st minute, then provided another assist for Vite just two minutes later. 

In the 71st, Berhalter scored himself with a calm finish from the middle of the box. The 23-year-old Londoner has been involved in all five of Vancouver’s semifinal goals but won’t be available for the final after picking up a yellow card in the first half.

Head Coach Mascherano: “They Were Much Better Than Us” 

For Inter Miami, the defeat marked their third consecutive loss, their worst stretch since Messi’s arrival last summer.

Head coach Javier Mascherano admitted,

We need to improve. Going forward, we need to learn from the last week because obviously the feeling is really, really bad. They were much better than us.

Historically, an MLS team falling 2-0 on the road in the first leg of a semifinal has been a near-certain death sentence, a fate that’s now befallen Inter Miami as well. Of the four clubs to face that scenario, none have managed to claw their way back into the final.