Cruz Azul Set to Face Vancouver Whitecaps in CONCACAF Champions Cup Final
The Vancouver Whitecaps are set to make history on Sunday as they become the first Canadian club to compete in the CONCACAF Champions Cup final, facing off against Cruz Azul at Estadio Olimpico Universitario in Mexico City.
According to Sports Mole, Los Celestes defeated Tigres 1-0 in the second leg of their semi-final tie, advancing 2-1 on aggregate, while the Whitecaps stunned Inter Miami, beating them 3-1 in Fort Lauderdale and ousting them by a cumulative score of 5-1.
Cruz Azul are making a record ninth appearance in the final of this competition and can claim their seventh Champions Cup title on Sunday, equalling Club America for the most all time. Sports Mole reports that Vicente Sanchez’s men have thoroughly deserved their place in this showcase event, outscoring their four opponents by a combined margin of 15-3.
The Mexican side have been in impressive form at home in the tournament this year, winning all four of their matches at Estadio Olimpico Universitario and keeping three clean sheets. They have also won their last eight home matches played in Mexico City and have not been behind for a single minute in this year’s competition.
As noted by Sports Mole, Cruz Azul have never lost a Champions Cup home game against an MLS opponent, defeating the Seattle Sounders 4-1 at Estadio Olimpico Universitario in the round of 16 this year.
In contrast, the Vancouver Whitecaps have had a remarkable journey to the final, coming from behind on multiple occasions. Sports Mole reports that Jesper Sorensen’s team lost their opening first-round fixture to Saprissa but managed to advance, while they were behind in the second leg of their previous three Champions Cup ties and managed to claim a positive result each time and move on.
The Whitecaps are the third team from Canada to make it this far, following Toronto’s loss on penalties to Chivas in 2018 and CF Montreal’s 5-3 aggregate defeat in the 2015 final versus Club America. However, they have never beaten a Liga MX side on Mexican soil, although they have scored a combined four goals in their two matches played in Mexico.
As Sports Mole notes, no MLS side has ever won a Champions Cup final match played in Mexico after 90 minutes, although the Seattle Sounders came back from a 2-0 deficit at Estadio Olimpico Universitario against Pumas in 2023, earning a 2-2 draw and ultimately lifting the trophy with a 3-0 win in the second leg of that tie.
In terms of team news, Cruz Azul will be without midfielder Andres Montano due to a torn lateral knee ligament. Sports Mole reports that Angel Sepulveda has seven goals to lead all scorers in the competition this year, while the Whitecaps have been without captain Ryan Gauld for some time due to a knee injury, although he could be available on Sunday.
The Whitecaps’ Sebastian Berhalter will be suspended due to yellow card accumulation, while Brian White is second with six goals in the competition so far. Sports Mole has predicted a 3-1 win for Cruz Azul, citing their impressive home form and the Whitecaps’ potential struggles with altitude.
The possible starting lineups for both teams are as follows:
Cruz Azul: Mier; Sanchez, Ditta, Orozco, Rotondi; Rodriguez, Lira; Bogusz, Faravelli, Fernandez; Sepulveda
Vancouver Whitecaps: Takaoka; Ocampo, Blackmon, Veselinovic, Johnson; Priso, Cubas, Vite; Nelson, White, Ahmed
As reported by Sports Mole, the match promises to be an exciting encounter, with Cruz Azul looking to claim their seventh Champions Cup title and the Whitecaps seeking to make history as the first Canadian club to win the competition.
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