A spot in the first continental final of 2025 is on the line for four CONCACAF clubs this week. Tigres and Cruz Azul will square Thursday off to determine Liga MX's representative in the Champions Cup final, while on the other side of the bracket, Inter Miami host the Vancouver Whitecaps Wednesday in a clash between MLS standouts.
Vancouver seized control in the first leg, blanking Miami 2-0 at home in a result that raised eyebrows across North America. But with leg two set for South Florida - and Lionel Messi back in the squad - the tie is far from over.
That said, the Whitecaps' start to 2025 has been nothing short of remarkable. Sitting atop both the Western Conference and the Supporters’ Shield standings after 10 regular-season matches, they’ve quickly become one of the league’s most compelling stories. Under first-year head coach Jesper Sørensen, Vancouver is 7-1-2, tied for the most goals scored in MLS and holding the league’s best goal differential.
Heading into the return leg, they're brimming with belief.
“We won the first one and know what we’re going to face Wednesday - a great team with great players that have done this before,” Sørensen said. “We have to play at our best and we’re ready. We’re excited, but also focused. It’s a big opportunity, and I’m happy for the players. No matter the result, they’ll grow from this experience. We’re moving forward - and now we can do that with a smile.”
Inter Miami, meanwhile, enter with urgency.
After a quarterfinal exit in last year’s competition, this is already the furthest the club has gone - but a semifinal finish isn’t the goal.
“We’re trailing, and on Wednesday we have to believe in the comeback,” said manager Javier Mascherano following Miami’s 1-0 loss to FC Dallas. “There’s nothing to lose - everything to gain.
“From the first minute, we need to take the game to Vancouver through our play. You don’t come back from 2-0 without playing well. We need to focus on our game, control what we can, and get that first goal. The rest can follow - but only if we start the right way.”
Sunday’s loss to Dallas was Miami’s first of 2025 in MLS, but the club rotated heavily, resting stars such as Messi ahead of the decisive second leg. With a second cup on the line in the Messi era, Miami will need a big performance - and perhaps something special - to flip the script against the most in-form team in the league.
