Vancouver Whitecaps advance over Pumas to face Messi’s Inter Miami in the Champions Cup semifinals

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Tristan Blackmon scored a stoppage-time equalizer to help Vancouver Whitecaps earn a 2-2 draw with Pumas on Wednesday and book a spot in the CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinals against Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami.

Sebastian Berhalter put Vancouver ahead in the 33rd minute but the Mexican club responded with goals from Guillermo Martinez in the 37th and Ignacio Pussetto in the 88th to take a 2-1 lead. Blackmon sealed the semifinal spot three minutes into stoppage time as the Whitecaps advanced on away goals.

“The team worked hard tonight, and we put ourselves in position to score late,” Blackmon said. “It was always not pretty, but we showed grit and at the end of the day we got the result that we wanted.”

The first leg of the series ended in a 1-1 draw. Vancouver has not played in the Champions Cup semifinals since 2017 and is trying to win the tournament for the first time.

To do that, it must beat Inter Miami, which advanced 3-1 over LA FC to qualify for the semifinals for the first time.

Rogelio Funes Mori of Mexico’s Pumas reacts at the end of a CONCACAF Champions Cup second leg quarterfinal soccer match against Canada’s Vancouver Whitecaps in Mexico City, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

“First of all, we need to recover from this and then we will be ready for that,” Blackmon said.

On the way to the semifinals, the Whitecaps, the team with the best record in the MLS this season, defeated three Mexican teams — Santos Torreon, Monterrey Rayados and Pumas.

On the other side of the tournament’s bracket, six-time CONCACAF champion Cruz Azul will face off in the semifinals against 2020 champion Tigres.

Guillermo Martinez of Mexico’s Pumas celebrates scoring his side’s first goal against Canada’s Vancouver Whitecaps during a CONCACAF Champions Cup second leg quarterfinal soccer match in Mexico City, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
Guillermo Martinez of Mexico’s Pumas celebrates scoring his side’s first goal against Canada’s Vancouver Whitecaps during a CONCACAF Champions Cup second leg quarterfinal soccer match in Mexico City, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
Jose Caicedo of Mexico’s Pumas, back, challenges Ali Ahmed of Canada’s Vancouver Whitecaps during a CONCACAF Champions Cup second leg quarterfinal soccer match in Mexico City, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
Piero Quispe of Mexico’s Pumas, left, and Andres Cubas of Canada’s Vancouver Whitecaps vie for the ball during a CONCACAF Champions Cup second leg quarterfinal soccer match in Mexico City, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
Sebastian Berhalter of Canada’s Vancouver Whitecaps, left, celebrates scoring his side’s opening goal with teammate Ranko Veselinovic against Mexico’s Pumas during a CONCACAF Champions Cup second leg quarterfinal soccer match in Mexico City, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

News from © The Associated Press, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community? Create a free account to comment on stories, ask questions, and join meaningful discussions on our new site.

Leave a Reply

The Associated Press

The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.