Whitecaps defeat Messi and Inter Miami 2-0 in 1st leg of CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinal
CBC
The Vancouver Whitecaps defeated Lionel Messi and Inter Miami FC 2-0 at B.C. Place Thursday night in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinal.
The Whitecaps took the lead in the 25th minute when Brian White headed a ball from Pedro Vite past Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari. Sebastian Berhalter added to the Whitecaps' lead with a goal in the 84th minute.
The highly-anticipated match came close to a year after many local soccer fans were disappointed when Messi — and fellow veterans Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets — didn't travel to Vancouver for Miami's regular-season MLS game against the Whitecaps.
More than 53,000 fans took in Thursday night's match at B.C. Place.
There were plenty of people wearing Messi jerseys in the stands, although the Argentine star was booed when he had possession of the ball.
Messi threatened in the 18th minute. He weaved through the defence and took a sharp angle shot from the corner of the net that was stopped, then cleared by defender Ranko Veselinovic. He had another shot in the 36th minute, blasting a ball from outside the box through a crowd that Whitecaps goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka stopped.
The Argentine also had a free kick from distance in the 71st minute that Takaoka also handled.
Longtime Whitecaps fan Tony Gabriel said he was thrilled to see Messi play live, but he was far more excited at the prospect of having the Whitecaps advance to the final of the CONCACAF Champions Cup, which features the best teams from North America, Central America and the Caribbean.
He said much has changed for the Whitecaps since Messi's no-show last year.
The 'Caps have the best record in MLS and lead the Western Conference with a 6-1-2 record for 20 points. Gabriel said new head coach Jesper Sorensen has his team playing with energy and cohesion.
"Look at the turnaround, look at the team, look at the depth that they have," said Gabriel, who sits in a section of B.C. Place known as Willie's Corner, named after Willie Johnston, a star with the Whitecaps back in the NASL era.
"How could you not be a fan of the Whitecaps? How could you not want to go out and and come to the games and watch the Whitecaps play? It doesn't matter who they're playing. Lionel Messi is a bonus, yes. But the team is doing amazing," Gabriel said.
The team's recent run of success comes at a critical time in franchise history.
Ownership announced late last year that the club was for sale. Earlier this month, the Whitecaps released a statement saying they are in discussions with the City of Vancouver regarding the construction of a stadium at the PNE fairgrounds site.
London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) is getting rid of unlimited mental health benefits for staff, blaming ballooning costs and former administrators for implementing it without proper due diligence or oversight.
Netflix has agreed to buy Warner Bros. Discovery's TV and film studios and streaming division for $72 billion US, a deal that would hand control of one of Hollywood's most prized and oldest assets to the streaming pioneer that has upended the media industry.
CBC Calgary kicks off its annual Make the Season Kind campaign this morning at Fratello Coffee Roasters.
CBC Newfoundland and Labrador is kicking off its annual holiday campaign, helping to raise money to support local food banks.
If all goes according to plan, at 6 a.m. AT on Saturday people working at the IWK Health Centre will become the test case for a generational change to Nova Scotia’s health-care system.
One month after Prime Minister Mark Carney announced what he called "generational" military spending, New Brunswick’s defence ecosystem is on high alert.
Miranda Mirlycourtois, 34, looks directly at the camera and makes a confession.
Saskatoon city hall says police spending is projected to be $2.6 million over budget this year. That pushes the city into a $1.2-million deficit position, according to a report that will be considered by city council next week.
Students at the University of Regina are days away from deciding whether a newly formed student association should become their official representative body.
All public schools on P.E.I. are closed Friday and thousands of Maritime Electric customers are without power as strong winds create hazardous travel conditions across the province.
Prince Rupert, B.C., residents are celebrating the holidays this year with coastal flair.
In the four years Chelsey Simmonds has worked at the Eva Rothwell Centre, she has seen the need increase every year at the centre’s community food pantry.
CBC is once again looking to make the holiday season kind in Windsor-Essex.