SAN JOSÉ, COSTA RICA – Vancouver Whitecaps FC played their first competitive match of the 2025 season on Thursday, falling 2-1 on a late goal to Deportivo Saprissa in the first leg of Round One of the Concacaf Champions Cup. The 'Caps will take an away goal into the second leg next Thursday, February 27 at BC Place. For tickets, visit whitecapsfc.com/tickets.
It was a physical start to the game, with both sides trying to establish an early dominance in the match.
Whitecaps FC would draw first blood in the 21st minute. J.C. Ngando found Ali Ahmed out wide with plenty of space. The Canadian international then drove down the right side and cut back a perfect cross for Ryan Gauld to hit first time, drilling it inside the far post with aplomb.
Ahmed nearly made it 2-0 just after the half-hour mark, making yet another darting run into the box. The 24-year-old juked his marker with a clever backheel turn but was unable to get his shot cleanly off thanks to a last-ditch tackle from a Saprissa defender.
The ‘Caps would take a well-earned 1-0 lead into the break as the referee blew for halftime.
Saprissa would come out strong in the second half and equalized through Mariano Torres. Trying his luck from some distance, Torres fired a thunderous shot inside the far post to bring his side level. Minutes later, Mathías Laborda came agonizingly close to bringing Whitecaps FC back into the lead, rising the highest off a corner but dragging his headed effort millimetres wide of the far post.
Later, Pedro Vite, off the bench, almost took the lead for the ‘Caps after the ball dropped nicely for him on the edge of the box, but his powerful half-volley flew the wrong side of the goal and out.
Saprissa then thought they had taken the lead after Ariel Rodríguez slotted the ball into the far post inside the box with a quarter of an hour to play, but the assistant referee raised their flag for offside. Saprissa’s ‘keeper Esteban Alvarado then came to the rescue in the 83rd minute, closing down an onrushing Vite before the Ecuadorian could slide his shot past him.
However, right at the death, Saprissa would steal the advantage from the first leg with just 30 seconds to play. Rodríguez was found alone in the box after a quick throw-in play, and managed to squeeze his shot into the back of the net to take a 2-1 lead into the second leg.
Whitecaps FC are back in action this coming Sunday, February 23, on the road for their MLS season opener against Portland Timbers at Providence Park. The ‘Caps then host the return leg against Saprissa on Thursday, February 27 at BC Place at 7 p.m. PT. Following that match, Whitecaps FC host their MLS home opener, presented by TELUS, against defending MLS Cup champions LA Galaxy on Sunday, March 2 at 2 p.m. PT. For tickets visit whitecapsfc.com/tickets.
MATCH DETAILS
Attendance: 10,947
Referee: Iván Arcides Barton Cisneros
Scoring Summary
21’ – VAN – Ryan Gauld (Ali Ahmed)
51’ – SAP – Mariano Torres (Fidel Escobar)
90’+5 – SAP – Ariel Rodríguez (Jefry Valverde)
Statistics
Possession: SAP 44% - VAN 56%
Shots: SAP 11 - VAN 10
Shots on Goal: SAP 4 - VAN 2
Saves: SAP 1 - VAN 2
Fouls: SAP 17 - VAN 14
Offsides: SAP 3 - VAN 2
Corners: SAP 1 - VAN 4
Cautions
4’ – SAP – Kendall Waston
34’ – SAP – Ryan Bolaños
42’ – VAN – Andrés Cubas
65’ – SAP – Mariano Torres
80’ – VAN – Mathías Laborda
82’ – VAN – Ali Ahmed
82’ – SAP – Douglas Sequeira
Deportivo Saprissa
18.Esteban Alvarado; 7.Jefry Valverde, 16.Eduardo Anderson, 21.Fidel Escobar, 19.Ryan Bolaños (30.Douglas Sequeira 56’), 5.Joseph Mora (37.Gino Vivi 90’+1); 20.Mariano Torres, 25.Sebastián Acuña, 8.David Guzmán (28.Gerson Torres 61’); 9.Sabin Merino (14.Ariel Rodríguez 61’), 4.Kendall Waston
Substitutes not used
13.Isaac Alfaro, 15.Deyver Vega, 17.Yoserth Hernández, 24.Orlando Sinclair, 32.Nicolás Delgadillo, 33.Kenay Myrie, 35.Berny Rojas, 39.Alberth Barahona
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
1.Yohei Takaoka; 2.Mathías Laborda, 4.Ranko Veselinović, 33.Tristan Blackmon, 3.Sam Adekugbe; 26.J.C. Ngando (45.Pedro Vite 56’), 20.Andrés Cubas (13.Ralph Priso 73’), 16.Sebastian Berhalter; 22.Ali Ahmed, 24.Brian White, 25.Ryan Gauld ©️ (7.Jayden Nelson 73’)
Substitutes not used
32.Isaac Boehmer, 30.Adrían Zendejas, 27.Giuseppe Bovalina, 28.Tate Johnson, 52.Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau, 59.Jeevan Badwal
