AN unprecedented semifinal awaits in the Concacaf Champions Cup, as Vancouver Whitecaps FC and Inter Miami CF prepare to face off for the very first time in the tournament’s history.
These two sides have only met once before, during MLS Matchday 15 of the 2024 regular season. Inter Miami emerged victorious with a 2-1 win at BC Place in Vancouver on May 25, 2024. Robert Taylor (38’) and Leonardo Campana (54’) scored for the Herons, while Ryan Gauld pulled one back for the hosts with a 72nd-minute penalty.
Inter Miami will become the 14th MLS club to reach the semifinals of the Concacaf Champions Cup. Should they advance to the final, they would be the 7th MLS side to do so.
The semifinal opener will mark Miami’s 11th match in the competition—ranking them 5th among MLS clubs who have needed the most games to reach this stage, trailing only FC Dallas (15), New York Red Bulls (17), Seattle Sounders (29), and Columbus Crew (29).
For Vancouver Whitecaps, this marks a return to the semifinals eight years after their last appearance.
In 2017, the Canadian side fell to Tigres UANL. In the first leg, played on March 14 at the Estadio Universitario in Monterrey, Vancouver lost 2-0, with an own goal from Costa Rican defender Kendall Waston (66’) and a strike from Eduardo Vargas (87’). The second leg, held on April 5 at BC Place, saw Vancouver take the lead through Brek Shea (3’), but Tigres came back with goals from André-Pierre Gignac (63’) and Damián Álvarez (84’) to reach the final.
With this run, the Whitecaps now match Toronto FC for the most semifinal appearances by a Canadian club (two each). The upcoming tie will be the first semifinal in tournament history to feature a Canadian club facing a U.S. club
The 2025 Concacaf Championship Cup will be on Thursday at the BC Place on Thursday.
OF/Source
