Cruz Azul secured their seventh Concacaf Champions Cup title with a dominant 5-0 victory, ruthlessly capitalizing on mistakes made by the Vancouver Whitecaps. The scoring started just eight minutes in when Ignacio Riviero found the net following a Vancouver turnover, and the goals continued to flow from there. Cruz Azul displayed clinical finishing throughout the match, notably scoring four goals from their only four shots on target in the first half to build an insurmountable lead.
This triumph, confirming their seventh Champions Cup title, places Cruz Azul level with Club America for the most titles in the competition`s history, a significant milestone reached through a commanding performance. Forward Angel Sepulveda capped off the tournament spectacularly, winning the Golden Boot after scoring two goals in the final, bringing his total tally to nine. In stark contrast, the promising tournament run of the Vancouver Whitecaps came to an abrupt and disappointing halt, a familiar outcome for MLS teams facing Liga MX opposition in recent years.
This final marked the fourth consecutive occasion an MLS team and a Liga MX team have battled for the Champions Cup trophy. Liga MX clubs have emerged victorious in three of these four encounters. Cruz Azul`s superiority in this match was undeniable; Vancouver failed to register a single shot on target and appeared unable to execute their planned tactics against their dominant opponents.
Vancouver was significantly hampered by the absence of midfielder Sebastian Berhalter in the final. The 23-year-old had been a key figure in their midfield throughout the tournament but missed the match due to accumulated yellow cards. Berhalter had notably stepped up his performance in the absence of the injured Ryan Gauld. Without both crucial players, the Whitecaps looked like a diminished side, a scenario that has often plagued MLS teams in these championship games.
Maintaining composure in a high-stakes match of this magnitude, particularly when played away in Mexico, is inherently challenging. However, considering how well-prepared Jesper Sorensen`s team had seemed for previous challenges in the tournament, the extent of this defeat was somewhat unexpected. On their path to the final, Vancouver had managed impressive draws away against Monterrey and Pumas, but this third consecutive trip to Mexico for the final proved to be an insurmountable hurdle.
Vancouver must now quickly move past this crushing defeat and ensure it doesn`t negatively impact their excellent domestic season, where they currently sit atop the Western Conference. Matches like this one continue to underscore the existing disparity in squad depth and quality between MLS and Liga MX, illustrating the significant progress MLS still needs to make to consistently compete at the highest level with Mexican clubs. The Whitecaps have little time to dwell on the loss, as they return to league action hosting the Seattle Sounders on June 8.
Dominic Ashworth