Inter Miami 1-3 Vancouver Whitecaps: 3 Takeaways from the Herons' Concacaf Champions Cup Disaster | OneFootball

Just steps away from Inter Miami CF’s stadium in Fort Lauderdale sits a small airport. Yet, on the pitch on Wednesday, Lionel Messi’s Herons saw their dreams of hoisting a Concacaf Champions Cup trophy take off into the night sky.

With the same starting 11 as the first leg and the hopes of a two-goal comeback, the Herons struggled to put their mark on the game, with a second-half collapse costing them their continental dreams.

Jordi Alba opened the scoring for the home side early in the match. Yet, their enjoyment didn’t last long after halftime, with Brian White and Pedro Vite putting the Whitecaps in the lead by the 55th minute, only for Sebastian Berhalter to score a third goal in the 71st minute to seal the competition.

The three-time defending Canadian champions closed out the match 3–1, winning the tie 5–1 over the two legs.

While the club’s most important game in their short history did not end the way they had hoped, it still came with valuable lessons heading into the remainder of the 2025 MLS season.

Running it Back Proved Fatal

After falling 2–0 in the first leg at BC Place and looking largely listless in attack, head coach Javier Mascherano opted to name the same lineup for the second leg, and once again paid the price for the issues it presented.

While Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, Alba and Sergio Busquets all rested through the weekend’s 4–3 loss to FC Dallas, they made their way back into the lineup on Wednesday and struggled to maintain the flow of the game against Vancouver.

Most notably, the backline faltered against the Whitecaps’ off-ball runs, with Maxi Falcon closely man-marking Brian White, but losing him when he quickly turned on through balls. Meanwhile, in midfield, the clashing styles of Federico Redondo and Busquets continued to hinder the buildup.

Team selection and the seeming preference for his former FC Barcelona teammates have held back Mascherano and Miami all season, leaving them short of the dominant levels they achieved under their previous head coach, Gerardo “Tata” Martino.

The remainder of the MLS season, with chasing the Supporters’ Shield, MLS Cup, and Leagues Cup now the priority, will require some tough decisions regarding the team’s best lineup.

Suárez Days as a Starting Striker May be Numbered

Luis Suárez struggled to make a significant difference against Vancouver over two legs / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Despite picking up an assist in the first half, Suárez struggled through the match, the latest in a poor run of play for the Uruguayan veteran. Starting alongside Lionel Messi up top, he struggled to press the Whitecaps' defence, and did not have the legs to get onto any of Miami’s long balls.

At the same time, his first touch eluded him when he received the ball centrally, allowing the Whitecaps to simply manage his presence and play out of the back without much pressure.

Although Suárez hit 20 goals with Miami in MLS in 2024, his struggles through league and Champions Cup play signify a need for a refreshment in Miami’s attack. Allen Obando, who scored in the 4–3 loss to FC Dallas, got minutes in the second half and appears to offer more mobility and pace to Miami’s attack.

As much as Suárez has found success with the Herons and throughout his career, his time as the top-choice striker is likely coming to an end.

Jordi Alba and Exploiting Wide Spaces

It was clear early in the match and on the opening goal that Inter Miami were going to target the wide areas and look to take advantage of Vancouver’s pressing wingers. While starting with the same lineup as the first leg, the attacking tactic shifted, allowing Alba space to run inside and take down long passes from center backs Noah Allen and Falcon.

On the opening goal, after Messi controlled a giveaway in midfield, Alba pressed wide and cut in before finishing, making a run that eluded Vancouver’s counter-attacking poised winger, Emmanuel Sabbi.

While the move to play Alba higher up left Miami vulnerable to a defensive breakdown, they managed to control the match pace in the first half, giving their fullbacks time to get into position to attack.

It’s a move seldom used from Miami’s largely structured 4-4-2, but it gave them more attacking opportunities against Vancouver’s wide players.

Unfortunately for the home side, they were slow to adapt once Vancouver attacked more centrally, and saw their Champions Cup dreams end, despite a bright start in their home leg.