{"id":851742,"date":"2025-05-28T16:11:59","date_gmt":"2025-05-28T21:11:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/28\/cruz-azul-vs-vancouver-whitecaps-everything-to-know-about-concacaf-champions-cup-final-mlssoccer-com\/"},"modified":"2025-05-28T16:11:59","modified_gmt":"2025-05-28T21:11:59","slug":"cruz-azul-vs-vancouver-whitecaps-everything-to-know-about-concacaf-champions-cup-final-mlssoccer-com","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/28\/cruz-azul-vs-vancouver-whitecaps-everything-to-know-about-concacaf-champions-cup-final-mlssoccer-com\/","title":{"rendered":"Cruz Azul vs. Vancouver Whitecaps: Everything to know about Concacaf Champions Cup final | MLSSoccer.com"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Soccer <\/p>\n<article xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/clubs\/vancouver-whitecaps-fc\">Vancouver Whitecaps FC<\/a> will look to crown their incredible 2025 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/competitions\/concacaf-champions-league\">Concacaf Champions Cup<\/a> run in Sunday&#8217;s final at LIGA MX side Cruz Azul.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p><h3>How to watch &#038; stream<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>English:<\/strong> FS1, OneSoccer<\/li>\n<li><strong>Spanish:<\/strong> TUDN, ViX<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<p><h3>When<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/competitions\/concacaf-champions-league\/2025\/matches\/cazvsvan-06-01-2025\/\">Sunday, June 1<\/a> | 9 pm ET\/6 pm PT<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<p><h3>Where<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li>Estadio Ol\u00edmpico Universitario | Mexico City, Mexico<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<p>Vancouver will aim to match <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/clubs\/seattle-sounders-fc\/\">Seattle Sounders FC<\/a> (2022) as the only MLS clubs to win the modern iteration of the continental tournament. Should they prevail, they&#8217;d also net prize money while qualifying for the 2029 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/competitions\/fifa-club-world-cup\/2025\/\">FIFA Club World Cup<\/a> and the 2025 FIFA Intercontinental Cup.<\/p>\n<p>Destiny awaits a group that&#8217;s one win away from the greatest achievement in Whitecaps history \u2013 all within six months of head coach Jesper S\u00f8rensen taking the reins at the club.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p><h3>Vancouver&#8217;s path<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Round One:<\/strong> 3-2 aggregate vs. Deportivo Saprissa (Costa Rica)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Round of 16:<\/strong> 3-3 aggregate vs. CF Monterrey (Mexico)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Quarterfinals:<\/strong> 3-3 aggregate vs. Pumas UNAM (Mexico)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Semifinals:<\/strong> 5-1 aggregate vs. Inter Miami CF<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<p>Vancouver&#8217;s unexpected road to the final reads like an epic tale, with S\u00f8rensen&#8217;s men performing second-leg heroics against three straight opponents. None was more dramatic than <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/tristan-blackmon\/\">Tristan Blackmon<\/a>&#8216;s extraordinary 93rd-minute goal in Mexico City that eliminated Pumas UNAM 3-3 on aggregate in the quarterfinals.<\/p>\n<p>The Whitecaps got stronger as they advanced, as shown by their dominant 5-1 aggregate semifinal victory over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/lionel-messi\/\">Lionel Messi<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/clubs\/inter-miami-cf\/\">Inter Miami CF<\/a> \u2013 capped by a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/competitions\/concacaf-champions-league\/2025\/matches\/miavsvan-04-30-2025\/\">3-1 win<\/a> at Chase Stadium behind a man-of-the-match performance from midfielder <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/sebastian-berhalter\/\">Sebastian Berhalter<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, Berhalter is suspended for the final due to yellow card accumulation. However, the club is hopeful that captain <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/ryan-gauld\/\">Ryan Gauld<\/a> returns from injury.<\/p>\n<p><h3>Vancouver&#8217;s key players<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Brian White:<\/strong> The veteran <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/clubs\/us-men-s-national-team\/\">USMNT<\/a> striker has been immense for Vancouver this season, both in MLS and CCC play. In the later competition, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/brian-white\/\">White<\/a> has scored five goals in eight games, good for second place in the tournament&#8217;s Golden Boot race.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Pedro Vite:<\/strong> Berhalter&#8217;s absence will be somewhat mitigated by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/pedro-vite\/\">Vite<\/a>. The Ecuadorian international midfielder is enjoying a career year and produced 1g\/1a across both legs against Miami to earn a spot in the CCC semifinal Best XI.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Tristan Blackmon:<\/strong> His dramatic goal vs. Pumas aside, Blackmon&#8217;s lights-out defensive work has spurred <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/MLSonAir\/status\/1922009335565091278\">talk of a USMNT call-up<\/a> for the 28-year-old center back, who&#8217;s also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/soccer\/story\/_\/id\/45186701\/canada-coach-jessie-marsch-approaches-tristan-blackmon-potential-national-team-switch\">reportedly been approached<\/a> by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/clubs\/canada\/\">Canada<\/a> head coach Jesse Marsch about possibly representing Les Rouges.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p><h3>Cruz Azul&#8217;s path<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Round One:<\/strong> 7-0 aggregate vs Real Hope (Haiti)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Round of 16:<\/strong> 4-1 aggregate vs Seattle Sounders FC<\/li>\n<li><strong>Quarterfinals:<\/strong> 2-1 aggregate vs Club Am\u00e9rica (Mexico)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Semifinals:<\/strong> 2-1 aggregate vs. Tigres UANL (Mexico)<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<p>With six Concacaf Champions Cup titles, Cruz Azul are the second most successful club in tournament history. And they&#8217;ve played like it in 2025, advancing to the final by a combined score of 15-3 over four rounds of play.<\/p>\n<p>Seattle experienced La M\u00e1quina&#8217;s power first-hand, falling 4-1 on aggregate in the Round of 16 before Vicente S\u00e1nchez&#8217;s side eliminated fellow LIGA MX opponents Club Am\u00e9rica and Tigres UANL to reach their eighth CCC final.<\/p>\n<p><h3>Cruz Azul&#8217;s key players<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>\u00c1ngel Sep\u00falveda:<\/strong> The tournament&#8217;s top scorer, Sep\u00falveda has scored seven goals to earn CCC Round One, quarterfinal and semifinal Best XI selections.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Mateusz Bogusz:<\/strong> The former <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/clubs\/los-angeles-football-club\">LAFC<\/a> midfielder is tied for tops in assists in this year&#8217;s competition with three helpers over seven appearances.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ignacio Rivero:<\/strong> Cruz Azul&#8217;s captain, Rivero is riding a three-game scoring streak that helped La M\u00e1quina reach the LIGA MX Clausura semifinals before falling to Club Am\u00e9rica.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p><h3>Setting the scene<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p>Fittingly, Cruz Azul and Vancouver place No. 1 and No. 2 in the latest <a href=\"https:\/\/www.concacaf.com\/rankings\/club\/\">Concacaf&#8217;s Club Rankings<\/a> ahead of Sunday&#8217;s final.<\/p>\n<p>The &#8216;Caps have risen to the occasion in their previous two trips to Mexico, eliminating CF Monterrey and Pumas. Now they return to the site of their Leg 2 quarterfinal heroics, thanks to Cruz Azul playing their home games at Pumas&#8217; ground since early 2025.<\/p>\n<p>Is another Estadio Ol\u00edmpico Universitario miracle in store for the Whitecaps?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/news\/cruz-azul-vancouver-whitecaps-concacaf-champions-cup-final-everything-to-know-guide\" class=\"button purchase\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Read More<\/a>Sharie Grisby<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Soccer Vancouver Whitecaps FC will look to crown their incredible 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup run in Sunday&#8217;s final at LIGA MX side Cruz Azul. How to watch &#038; stream English: FS1, OneSoccer Spanish: TUDN, ViX When Sunday, June 1 | 9 pm ET\/6 pm PT Where Estadio Ol\u00edmpico Universitario | Mexico City, Mexico Vancouver will [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":851743,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2005,23566,105439],"tags":[18172,105438],"class_list":{"0":"post-851742","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-soccer","8":"category-vancouver","9":"category-whitecaps","10":"tag-vancouver","11":"tag-whitecaps"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/851742","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=851742"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/851742\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/851743"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=851742"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=851742"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=851742"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}