Dominant Vancouver Whitecaps stunned by cruel late Pumas strike | OneFootball

Anyone who took a look at the 1–1 scoreline would not imagine what really happened. On the BC Place pitch, Vancouver Whitecaps played as if they had already signed off for wins. They scored, advanced, shot on goal, got the opposing keeper to sweat, controlled the pitch, the clock, and even the theatrics. But when they needed to close it, they left it wide open. Pumas, suspended from their ropes, reacted late and scraped out a draw sweet as relief, and heavy as gold in the war over a slot in the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals.

Brian White left his impression once again. He scored his fourth goal of the Champions Cup campaign, moving up the table in the competition for golden boot. But his killer instinct was not enough to seal the win. Meanwhile, Carrasquilla, Mexican team newcomer, saw a loose ball in the final minutes and changed the course of a game that appeared all but over. A tight draw, considering the rhythm of play, but still leaving everything on the table for the second leg in Mexico City.

Whitecaps control the game, not the scoreboard

Whistle to whiste, as it were, and all the way down to stoppage time, Vancouver Whitecaps played the place like they were the owners. The team came out blazing. In but four minutes, Sebastian Berhalter was already firing in a left-foot shot from the inside box that bobbled its way past the post. That was the dead giveaway they were not gonna be waiting for Pumas to get comfortable. And they didn't. Pressure was constant, possession was stuck bolted in attacking range, and opportunities mounted up.

Even with Pumas trying to stuff up the Canadian machine, Whitecaps were in charge. JC Ngando and Pedro Vite kept the flow of passes going, opened space, and stayed dynamic. And Brian White? Waiting in the wings, sniffing rebounds, ready to pounce. When his moment came, in the 71st, it was right out of the textbook, loose ball within the box following a corner, a low shot down the side. Boom. 1–0. And looked to be the beginning of much more.

Dominated with infuriating panache

Whitecaps never gave Pumas a chance to breathe. In the second half, the Mexican side barely made it to midfield. And when they did, they were greeted by a rock-solid defense that blinked not. The issue? That second goal was never to come. And the match, with all its possession, stayed on the edge of the knife. Football prefers a bit of drama, and it found its moment.

In the 87th minute, when Pumas had appeared to have accepted defeat, was delivered the shock. Carrasquilla, in his first for Pumas, blasted a volley pure and unadulterated. A corner kick by Leonardo Suárez presented him at the back, sharp turn, no hesitation, shot on target — no chance for the keeper. A draw conjured out of thin air, the type that rends asunder even the best thought-out plans.