RECAP: Whitecaps hammered 5-0 by Cruz Azul in CONCACAF champions final

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Vancouver Whitecaps RECAP: Overwhelmed Caps hammered 5-0 by Cruz Azul in CONCACAF final Follow the updates as the Vancouver Whitecaps take on Cruz Azul tonight at Estadio Olimpico Universitario in Mexico City for the Champions Cup Final. Get the latest from Patrick Johnston straight to your inbox Sign Up Photo by Hector Vivas / Getty Images

Article content Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. The Vancouver Whitecaps lost 5-0 to Cruz Azul tonight at Estadio Olimpico Universitario in Mexico City for the CONCACAF Champions Cup Final.

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Article content If you weren’t able to watch the game in person, scroll down for the play-by-play updates from tonight’s game: 8:05 p.m. Congratulations to Cruz Azul, who did everything right and faced little resistance from the travelling Whitecaps. Truly a shocking performance by the Caps who didn’t get a single thing right on the night. They were truly overwhelmed in midfield, they were brutal with the ball at their feet, they defended meekly and created nearly nothing on offence — indeed they went shotless. The Whitecaps shot themselves in the foot early, giving up two early goals off atrocious ball decisions in their own half and the hosts, who were on two-weeks’ rest to boot, barely had to break a sweat to take their lead; nor did they have to do much to extend their lead either.

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Article content Total devastation for the local side — and total jubilation for the Mexicans. Photo by Hector Vivas / Getty Images 8:00 p.m. Utvik is on for the skipper. We have less than five minutes to play. 7: 55 p.m. Daniel Rios is on for Ngando. Will the Mexican produce a shot? 7:51 p.m. With dozen or so minutes to play, we’re looking at one thing now: will the Whitecaps manage to get a shot? They have zero. Our pal J.J. Adams is struggling to find a past match where the Caps have gone shotless. 7:43 p.m. And Yohei Takaoka, who has no help defensively tonight, nearly does himself in for a sixth goal. The ball came back to him and under pressure from Sepulveda, gives the ball away. Cruz Azul try a chip but it’s Ranko Veseliovic who comes scrambling across to head the ball back over the Caps’ net.

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Article content Still 5-0. Just over 20 minutes left. 7:38 p.m. Finally a yellow: Ranko Veselinovic kicks the legs out from Cruz Azul’s Ignacio Rivero at midfield. That was an easy one for the referee. 7:37 p.m. Another sub as Pedro Vite, who had one of the quietest games of his Whitecaps career, is off, with Ralph Priso coming on. 7:35 p.m. This game is slowly winding its way along. Caps have had couple free kicks but there’s no life to this game. Cruz Azul are happy to guide it to the finish and the Caps are just playing along. There’s 30 minutes to go. 7:25 p.m. Cruz Azul 5-0 Well if we weren’t thinking this is a training match, we are now. Andres Cubas is having a nightmare match as he’s spilled ANOTHER ball onto a Cruz Azul attacker’s boot, this time by simply slipping on the pitch. It’s a very damp pitch.

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Article content It’s Sepulveda, who is running away with the Golden Boot for this competition, who rises to head the ball in for his second of the match and the home team’s fifth of the night. 7:20 p.m. Two subs: Sabbi on for Nelson and Laborda in for Ocampo. Simple task for the Caps: get some energy in all facets and get some shape when you’ve got the ball. Will only get worse otherwise. 7:15 p.m. HALFTIME What can we say here? The Caps look aimless. Is this because: • They’re playing a back four that’s never started a match together before? • A three-man midfield that’s never started a game together? • The fact they played midweek? (And give me a break that this was what Jesper Sorensen wanted; you’re playing at altitude in a continental final. Even if this is what the man really wanted — and I’m sorry, I just don’t believe a coach wouldn’t take rest were it offered — protect the man from himself. MLS stood huge benefits to win this one, They should have stepped in and simple re-scheduled last Wednesday’s game, which was a dull match in itself.)

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Article content • Is it the altitude? • Or is it simply a team that plays in a tougher league than MLS knowing what it takes? 7:03 p.m. 4-0 Cruz Azul 4-0. Another turnover in defence. It’s Mateusz Bogusz, the frenetic Pole who has been the most notable Cruz Azul player on the pitch, who hammers the ball towards goal. His shot deflects off Sam Adekugbe and curls up and over a once again no-hope Yohei Takaoka. Truly an awful half of football for the Caps. Utterly overwhelmed, not helping their own cause in the slightest and with no slick passing of their own to speak of. Can they at least haul some pride back in the second half? Photo by Hector Vivas / Getty Images 6:57 p.m. 3-0 Cruz Azul Oh dear. Again. Despite looking comically offside it’s Cruz Azul’s super-talented finisher Angel Sepulveda who beats Tristan Blackmon to a cross and gets his foot on the ball, which loops over a sprawling Takaoka.

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Article content No one raises their hand in appeal and the assistant referee on the touch line doesn’t put his flag up either so the goal stands. It’s 3-0 and the Caps can’t wait to get to half time. (On review, it’s Edier Ocampo covering out wide who puts Sepulveda onside…so what were Blackmon and Veselinovic doing leaving him that loose?) 6:46 p.m. Two moments that sum up the lack of precision on attack for the Caps so far tonight. First Caps force a turnover in the Cruz Azul half and Jayden Nelson has the ball at his feet, takes a couple strides then tries to slip an angled pass ahead for Brian White, but hits the Cruz Azul defender in the leg. Minutes later, Pedro Vite collects the ball deep in his own half and spies Ali Ahmed streaking away on the right. He hits a nice ball ahead for the lanky winger to collect, but Ahmed’s touch is uncharacteristically heavy and the ball bounces right to a Cruz Azul defender for an easy clearance.

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Article content Caps gotta collect themselves here. Photo by Hector Vivas / Getty Images 6:45 p.m. 2-0 Cruz Azul Oh dear. Another mistake by Andres Cubas right in front of his backline and Cruz Azul again take no time to strike. This time it’s Faravelli, the Argentine midfielder, who takes the loose ball and hits a screamer from outside the box and dinks it off the right post and into the net past Takaoka. 2-nil to the home team and this is a huge hole for the Caps to climb out of. 6:43 p.m. We’re 25 minutes in and Brian White has barely touched the ball. Just seven touches, according to One Soccer’s Adam Jenkins. Caps are struggling to break through the Cruz Azul wall. We’re at altitude and Caps played midweek. They’re looking a little slow everywhere. 6:40 p.m. And we’ve seen our first case of CONCACAF officiating.

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Article content After Takaoka collects a ball in the air, he surged forward towards the top of the area, looking to perhaps launch a Whitecaps counter. Cruz Azul’s Rivero yanked on the Caps goalie’s jersey, pulling him back. Anywhere else in the world, that’s a yellow to the Mexican. But here…it’s just a finger wave from referee Walter López Castellanos — and it looked like he was waving at Takaoka! 6:36 p.m. We’re now 10 minutes past the goal and the game has been back to a steady, cagey affair. Caps struggling to create much on offence as the the five-man Cruz Azul midfield is making for lots of traffic for the likes of Ngando and Vite to try to get the ball up field. Really missing Sebastian Berhalter’s industry right now. The other way, the Mexicans are now happy to sit back and just probe the Caps’ backline as they can, but not much urgency either.

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Article content 6:26 p.m. 1-0 Cruz Azul Oh dear. More carelessness by the Caps as a terrible turnover in front of their defensive line as Ocampo and Cubas lose possession really cheaply. The ball comes to Cruz Azul captain Ignacio Rivero who comes off the right wing into the middle of the pitch to absolutely hammer the ball past a diving Takaoka. It’s 1-0 Cruz Azul after 8 minutes. Caps have all the work in front of them now. Reminder this is a pure final. There is no away goals rule, even if this this the home ground of Cruz Azul. If we’re tied at full time, it’s off to extra time, two halves of 15 minutes each way. No golden goal rule here. If it’s still tied after extra time, it’s off to penalties. Photo by Hector Vivas / Getty Images 6:23 p.m. After four minutes of not-very-much, a strange breakdown by the Whitecaps, as Edier Ocampo missed an aimless cross and let the ball bounce behind him which Cruz Azul pounced upon out wide to the right of the Vancouver goal; the ball got crossed back over to a pair of waiting Cruz Azul attackers…who then flubbed the ball and Ngando cleared.

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Article content 6:18 p.m. And we’re off!! Brian White kicks off, the Caps work it back and then just hammer the ball down to the Cruz Azul end. The Caps like to keep the ball on the floor so we won’t see many more of those. 6:15 p.m. So who are Cruz Azul? They finished third in the recent Clausura campaign, then lost in the semi finals of the championship round to America — on a standings tie breaker. They’re a heckuva team. As tough a team as the Whitecaps have faced this season, to no shock. You don’t get this far into the North American championship without being a strong strong team! They’re playing five across the midfield, with three in the back. Photo by Hector Vivas / Getty Images 6:10 p.m. Fireworks! Literally! A brilliant display of pyrotechnics celebrated the delivery of the Champions Cup trophy — ex-Cap Tossaint Ricketts one of the porters — ahead of the teams walking out on to the pitch.

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Article content 6:05 p.m. Kickoff is still 10 minutes away. Reminder that Seb Berhalter is not eligible for this game. He took yellows in both legs vs. Inter Miami, leading to Roy Keane-esque suspension for this final. That’s why J.C. Ngando is in. 5:55 p.m. Bit of a hiccup in getting this live blog online, but here we go. A side note: player protest in MLS action today, as players are speaking out about the league holding a large portion of money paid out by FIFA to make the Club World Cup happen this summer. Statement from @mlspa.bsky.social [image or embed] — Noah Riffe (@ijusttake.photos) June 1, 2025 at 3:03 PM Photo by Manuel Velasquez / Getty Images 5:30 p.m. Alright here we go. Half an hour to kickof. There’s something like 800 Whitecaps fans in the stands at Estadio Olimpico Univerisitario. Photo by Hector Vivas / Getty Images Here’s your team news: it’s 4-3-3 for the Caps. Ocampo and Adekugbe as wing-backs, Veselinovic the captain partnered by Blackmon in the middle as ever. Cubas the search-and-destroy DM, with Vite and Ngando looked to play as box to box work horses. Brian Whitem of course, is the point of the spear, with two speedsters in Nelson and Ahmed on the wings.

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