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Winnipeg Free Press
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Semi-pro FC Laval looks forward to Canadian Championship test at CPL's York United FC
FC Laval has had the date circled on its calendar for months now. On Tuesday, the semi-pro Ligue1 Quebec champion visits York United FC of the Canadian Premier League in preliminary-round play in the Telus Canadian Championship. 'We're very very eager to be on the pitch (Tuesday),' said Laval coach Amro Radwan. 'They've been working hard for this. It was an objective last summer. They're really excited about this opportunity.' Laval lost 3-0 at Forge FC in preliminary-round play in 2023 in its only other trip to the cup competition. In the other cup game Tuesday, Pacific FC hosts Vancouver FC in an all-Canadian Premier League matchup. On Wednesday, it's Halifax Wanderers at Forge in another CPL showdown in Hamilton and League1 B.C.'s TSS FC Rovers at Winnipeg's Valour FC. Four teams have already made it to the two-legged quarterfinals, including the MLS-leading Vancouver Whitecaps who received a bye into the final eight as defending champion. CF Montreal dispatched Toronto FC in a penalty shootout, CPL champion Cavalry FC blanked League1 Alberta's Edmonton Scottish 6-0 and CPL-leading Atletico Ottawa downed League1 Ontario's Scrosoppi FC 2-0. The York-Laval winner will face Ottawa in the quarterfinals while the Pacific-Vancouver FC survivor takes on Cavalry. Laval, which topped Ligue1 Quebec last year with a 12-5-3 record, has had just one league outing to date this season — a 3-1 win at CS St-Hubert on April 25. But Radwan says the team has been training since January, 'We've had enough games and training to make sure we're ready for this challenge,' he said. The team, which only has a couple of holdovers from the 2023 squad that played in the cup competition, gets together three or four times a week in advance of matches. The young talent on the Laval squad includes forward Ibrahim Conde, the lone Canadian invited to the MLS College Showcase in San Diego in December. Conde is a good friend and former college teammate of Canadian international defender Moise Bombito at Iowa Western Community College and the University of New Hampshire. 'He's a top talent and we've got a few other players of similar quality to Ibrahim,' said Radwan, who also coached Conde as a youth. 'It's a really talented group — boys who've know each other for a long time so they're familiar with each other on the pitch.' Lava's co-captains are central midfielder Quentin Paumier and centre back Bilal Bouchemella. Radwan's choices in goal are Martin Cantona and 19-year-old Aydan Kancel-Marie. 'We're aware of what they can bring,' said York coach Mauro Eustaquio, whose team is coming off a 2-1 loss to visiting Cavalry on Friday. 'So it won't be an easy game. They have quality players, they're well-coached and they're here to prove a point as well.' York (1-3-1) currently stands sixth in the eight-team CPL and is winless in four games (0-3-1) since the season-opening 2-0 victory at Vancouver FC on April 6. Eustaquio's team, been hit by injuries, is still finding its footing. 'We've shown what we can do with and without the ball … The results haven't been going our way,' said Eustaquio. 'The players understand the way we want to play,' he added. 'We've had really good spells but then we just turn off in certain (moments) and we've been punished by that … Tuesday is another opportunity that we have to show what we can do.' Pacific FC at Vancouver FC The teams drew 1-1 when they met in league play April 26 in Langley, B.C., with French midfielder Aly Ndom scoring the tying goal for Pacific in the 70th minute. Veteran Uruguayan midfielder Nicolas Mezquida, a former Whitecap, had given Vancouver the lead in the 17th minute. The rivalry between the two was shown by the game's seven yellow cards and one red. Vancouver (1-2-2) is fourth in the CPL standings, three places but just one point ahead of Pacific (1-3-1). It is unbeaten in its last three outings (1-0-2) since dropping its first two games of the campaign (against York and Ottawa). 'They have a lot of quality in the higher area of the pitch in (Alejandro) Diaz and Terran Campbell and Mezquida,' said Pacific coach James Merriman. 'This is a very good front three and we need to make sure that we're focused on the detail for 90-plus minutes, because, as you see, they can get one or two chances and they take those chances.' Pacific (1-3-1) has not won since the season-opening 2-0 win over visiting Valour. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Vancouver is looking for its first cup win, losing by 1-0 scores in the preliminary-round at York in 2023 and at Cavalry last year. 'We're growing not only every season but also every match, especially this season,' said Vancouver coach Afshin Ghotbi. 'We're in a very good place. All the players feel very confident. At the same time humble and they're hungry for more.' The Canadian Championship winner hoists the Voyageurs Cup and wins $50,000 and a berth in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, the elite club competition in North and Central America and the Caribbean. — This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 5, 2025.
Fox Sports
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Vancouver Whitecaps eliminate Lionel Messi, Inter Miami from the Concacaf Champions Cup
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami are out of the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup. The white-hot Vancouver Whitecaps scored two second-half goals to overturn the Herons' 1-0 lead in Wednesday's semifinal second leg in South Florida, giving the Canadian club a 3-1 win and a stunning 5-1 triumph on aggregate in the two-game, total-goals-wins series that began north of the border last week. Jordi Alba cut Miami's aggregate defeat to one when he opened the scoring in the ninth minute. It looked as though the hosts might pull level soon afterward, but Vancouver managed to get into the locker room at the halftime break before Inter could add another goal. But a pair of Whitecaps goals shortly after intermission — the first by U.S. men's national team striker Brian White, the second two minutes later by Ecuadoran midfielder Pedro Vite — extended the visitors' overall lead to three goals. Sebastian Berhalter added another before it was over to compound Miami's misery. This was a fully deserved victory by the MLS-leading 'Caps, both on Wednesday and over the two games. Vancouver will now face the winner of the second semifinal between Mexican sides Cruz Azul and Tigers. That match will be played on Thursday (10 p.m. ET, FS2). The regional final is set for June 1. Here's how Wednesday's contest shook out. Play of the game Miami opened the scoring with a goal made in Barcelona. Former Blaugrana trio Alba, Messi and Luis Suarez conspired to create the chance that Alba finished with a powerful shot that found its way through Vancouver keeper Yohei Takaoka: White's 51st minute goal was the effective back-breaker. Crucially, it gave the visitors a potentially tie-breaking away goal, meaning Miami had to score three goals to win outright. As that cold reality was starting to dawn on the Herons' stunned players, Vite put the outcome beyond doubt. Key stat The Whitecaps became the fourth MLS club to reach the regional final in the last four years — matching the American/Canadian top flight's representation over the previous two decades. What's next for Inter Miami? It's MLS Cup or bust for Javier Mascherano's men. The Herons came into 2025 on the strength of the best MLS regular season in MLS history, but they faltered in the playoffs and in the Champions Cup. Those competitions were the clear priority for Miami over the winter, when Mascherano replaced fellow Argentine Tara Martino as coach. So Wednesday's setback — and the embarrassing fashion in which it occurred — represents a significant blow to perhaps the most ambitious club in the now 30-franchise-strong MLS. With that much-coveted Concacaf crown now off the table, the "Core Four" of Alba, Messi, Suarez and Sergio Busquets will put all of their attention on hoisting the most important trophy in the domestic game this December. Inter Miami returns to MLS action on Saturday when Eastern Conference rival New York Red Bulls visit Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. What's next for the Whitecaps? The Cinderella run continues for Vancouver, which has been a revelation this season under first-year boss Jesper Sørensen. They'll wait a day to see who they'll face in the finale, then resume league play on Saturday at home to Real Salt Lake. Doug McIntyre is a soccer reporter for FOX Sports who has covered United States men's and women's national teams at FIFA World Cups on five continents. Follow him @ ByDougMcIntyre . Get more from Lionel Messi Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Hamilton Spectator
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Whitecaps look to finish off Inter Miami in Champions Cup semifinal
VANCOUVER - The Vancouver Whitecaps are close to reaching the summit of the CONCACAF Champions Cup but face a difficult last climb to reach the final. The Whitecaps lead Inter Miami 2-0 heading into the deciding game of their two-leg series Wednesday night at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. The Whitecaps have a huge advantage but also realize Lionel Messi and the rest of Miami's star-studded lineup won't give up easily. 'We're close but still far away,' head coach Jesper Sorensen told a news conference Tuesday. 'We're up against a good team where a lot of stuff can happen. 'They will be hungry to win but we will be as well. We're not putting too much into it honestly (being ahead). We know we have to play a game.' Midfielder Ali Ahmed warned Vancouver can't be overconfident. 'The job is not even close to being done,' said the Canadian international. 'We're going to have to dig deep. 'We know who they have there. They're a special team.' Miami's Maximiliano Falcon said his team has travelled this road before, coming back from two goals down to defeat Los Angeles FC in the quarterfinals. 'We know it's a situation that's not in our favour,' said the Uruguayan defender. 'We've trained according to what we've already seen from (Vancouver) and what happened in the previous game. We all have the same confidence that we can turn this situation around. 'It's difficult, there can be no margin of error, but we have all the confidence that if we do a good job, we can go through.' Miami coach Javier Mascherano said his team feels no pressure heading into the deciding game. 'I still believe in this team,' he said. 'We have nothing to lose. Maybe the pressure is on Vancouver. They have to keep the result.' A record crowd of over 53,000 watched striker Brian White and midfielder Sebastian Berhalter score in Vancouver's opening-game win at BC Place Stadium last Thursday. Since then both teams played Major League Soccer matches Sunday with much different results. The Whitecaps went on the road and got two goals from Pedro Vite to defeat Minnesota United 3-1 to improve their MLS-leading record to 7-2-1. Miami suffered their first loss of the season, giving up a 3-1 lead to lose 4-3 against FC Dallas at home. Miami is fifth in the MLS Eastern Conference with a 5-13 record. Mascherano elected to rest many of his starters, including Messi, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, forward Luis Suárez, midfielder Sergio Busquets, defender Jordi Alba and goalkeeper Oscar Ustari. Sorensen isn't reading too much into Sunday's games. 'I think we cannot put too much into what happened,' he said. 'I would say both teams showed they have focus on Wednesday. 'I think for them it's even more important to win the CONCACAF Cup tournament.' The Whitecaps need a win, draw, or loss by a single goal to advance to the team's first CONCACAF Champions Cup final. The series winner will face either Cruz Azul or Tigres UNAL on June 1. The Whitecaps reached the tournament semifinals back in 2017. Vancouver advanced to the semifinal by defeating Pumas UNAM 3-3 on aggregate score on away goals. Miami defeated LAFC 3-2 on aggregate goals. The CONCACAF Champions Cup features the best teams from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean to crown a regional champion and to qualify for the next FIFA Club World Cup. Ahmed is thrilled over the chance to reach the final. 'It's a monumental moment for the club and for me to be part of history,' said the 24-tear-old Toronto native. 'This club has given me a chance to live out my dream. 'Playing in a Champions Cup final, as a young Canadian for a Canadian club, is a big milestone in my career and something I will cherish forever.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 29, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Whitecaps look to finish off Inter Miami in Champions Cup semifinal
VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Canucks are close to reaching the summit of the CONCACAF Champions Cup but face a difficult last climb to reach the final. The Whitecaps lead Inter Miami 2-0 heading into the deciding game of their two-leg series Wednesday night at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. The Whitecaps have a huge advantage but also realize Lionel Messi and the rest of Miami's star-studded lineup won't give up easily. 'We're close but still far away,' head coach Jesper Sorensen told a news conference Tuesday. 'We're up against a good team where a lot of stuff can happen. 'They will be hungry to win but we will be as well. We're not putting too much into it honestly (being ahead). We know we have to play a game.' Midfielder Ali Ahmed warned Vancouver can't be overconfident. 'The job is not even close to being done,' said the Canadian international. 'We're going to have to dig deep. 'We know who they have there. They're a special team.' Miami's Maximiliano Falcon said his team has travelled this road before, coming back from two goals down to defeat Los Angeles FC in the quarterfinals. 'We know it's a situation that's not in our favour,' said the Uruguayan defender. 'We've trained according to what we've already seen from (Vancouver) and what happened in the previous game. We all have the same confidence that we can turn this situation around. 'It's difficult, there can be no margin of error, but we have all the confidence that if we do a good job, we can go through.' Miami coach Javier Mascherano said his team feels no pressure heading into the deciding game. 'I still believe in this team,' he said. 'We have nothing to lose. Maybe the pressure is on Vancouver. They have to keep the result.' A record crowd of over 53,000 watched striker Brian White and midfielder Sebastian Berhalter score in Vancouver's opening-game win at BC Place Stadium last Thursday. Since then both teams played Major League Soccer matches Sunday with much different results. The Whitecaps went on the road and got two goals from Pedro Vite to defeat Minnesota United 3-1 to improve their MLS-leading record to 7-2-1. Miami suffered their first loss of the season, giving up a 3-1 lead to lose 4-3 against FC Dallas at home. Miami is fifth in the MLS Eastern Conference with a 5-13 record. Mascherano elected to rest many of his starters, including Messi, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, forward Luis Suárez, midfielder Sergio Busquets, defender Jordi Alba and goalkeeper Oscar Ustari. Sorensen isn't reading too much into Sunday's games. 'I think we cannot put too much into what happened,' he said. 'I would say both teams showed they have focus on Wednesday. 'I think for them it's even more important to win the CONCACAF Cup tournament.' The Whitecaps need a win, draw, or loss by a single goal to advance to the team's first CONCACAF Champions Cup final. The series winner will face either Cruz Azul or Tigres UNAL on June 1. The Whitecaps reached the tournament semifinals back in 2017. Vancouver advanced to the semifinal by defeating Pumas UNAM 3-3 on aggregate score on away goals. Miami defeated LAFC 3-2 on aggregate goals. During Elections Get campaign news, insight, analysis and commentary delivered to your inbox during Canada's 2025 election. The CONCACAF Champions Cup features the best teams from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean to crown a regional champion and to qualify for the next FIFA Club World Cup. Ahmed is thrilled over the chance to reach the final. 'It's a monumental moment for the club and for me to be part of history,' said the 24-tear-old Toronto native. 'This club has given me a chance to live out my dream. 'Playing in a Champions Cup final, as a young Canadian for a Canadian club, is a big milestone in my career and something I will cherish forever.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 29, 2025.
