Vancouver were crushed 5–0 by La Máquina in the final; they trailed 4–0 by halftime.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Cruz Azul won their first international title since 2014
• The club qualifies for the 2029 Club World Cup and the 2025 Intercontinental Cup
• Vancouver missed the chance to become the first Canadian team to win the Champions Cup

Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games now

• AFP
  

  Table of Contents

  Toggle

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Vancouver Whitecaps head coach Jesper Sørensen was emotional and candid following his team’s 5–0 defeat to Cruz Azul in the CONCACAF Champions Cup final on Sunday night, calling the loss “devastating” and admitting his side was thoroughly outplayed.

  “Cruz Azul was simply better in every aspect,” Sørensen said.“We came in with hope and ambition, but we’re leaving devastated.”

  The Danish manager began by congratulating Cruz Azul and praising the atmosphere at Estadio Olímpico Universitario. “They played with confidence and personality, backed by their fans. We couldn’t stay calm in key moments,” he explained. “They struck early, twice, and that really hurt us. We never quite found our rhythm after that.”

  Cruz Azul, led by Uruguayan manager Vicente Sánchez, delivered one of the most dominant performances in tournament final history, claiming their seventh international title and further cementing their legacy as one of CONCACAF’s giants.

  From the opening whistle, dictated the match – controlling possession, pressing aggressively, and finishing with ruthless precision. The Whitecaps, despite entering as one of MLS’s top teams, were overwhelmed from start to finish.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT JESPER SØRENSEN SAID

  Despite the blow, Sørensen emphasized the importance of moving forward: “We’re halfway through our season. It’ll be tough to process this, but we have to bounce back.”

  He also downplayed any talk of missing players or transfer market distractions as a factor behind the result. For example, U.S. international Sebastian Berhalter couldn't play in the match due to card accumulation.

  “Today was about the teams, not about who was missing or coming in. Yes, Sebastián [Berhalter] has been excellent for us, and we’d have loved to have him, but he wasn’t available. We knew that. It’s not something to dwell on.”

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The Whitecaps missed out on a historic opportunity to become the first Canadian club to lift the CONCACAF trophy and book a place at the 2029 Club World Cup and 2025 Intercontinental Cup. Instead, they’ll return to league play still leading the Western Conference, but carrying a bitter lesson.

  “You always have to learn from a match like this – no matter the result,” Sørensen concluded. “And that’s exactly what we’ll try to do.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR WHITECAPS?

  Sørensen’s team will need to bounce back quickly from this heavy defeat, as they visit the Seattle Sounders next Sunday. Despite the setback, the Whitecaps remain atop the Western Conference with 32 points and two games in hand.

Tags: Futebol
Category: News