Whitecaps open Concacaf quarterfinal with draw

Vancouver Whitecaps 1-1 UNAM Pumas 

VANCOUVER, BC–Vancouver Whitecaps will need to get at least one away goal to keep their Concacaf Champions Cup hopes alive after playing to a 1-1 draw with Pumas in the first leg of their quarterfinal. It was a match that the Whitecaps controlled for most of the match, but were unable to break through until the 71st minute when a scramble in front of the Pumas’ area off a corner ended with Brian White getting the final touch to bundle the ball over the line to give the hosts the lead.

However, three minutes from time, Pumas had a corner of their own and former Houston Dynamo player Carlos Carrasquilla would strike on the volley on the ensuing kick past Yohei Takaoka to level the tie. Emmanuel Sabbi had a last chance to put the Whitecaps back ahead, but Pumas keeper Alex Padilla pushed the ball onto the bar.

The second leg will be next Wednesday at 7:30pm PT at Pumas (FS1/ONE Soccer/TUDN/UniMás). Before that, the Whitecaps will host Colorado in league play on Saturday at 6:30pm PT on Apple TV.

For more of Gerrit te Hennepe’s photos from the night at BC Place, please click on the link to his gallery.

Follow us on bluesky

Follow us on Twitter