The Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club took on the Deportivo Saprissa in a must-win game at BC Place on Feb. 27, 2025. This game took place as a part of the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) Champions Cup.
In the Whitecaps final game of February, and first game at BC Place this year, they wore their Black History Month kit. They also welcomed back former Captain Kendall Watson, who is now a centre-back for Saprissa.
The Vancouver Whitecaps came in needing to win this game after they lost leg one to Saprissa in Costa Rica with a score of 2-1. The Whitecaps knew coming into the game that if they wanted to advance to Round of 16 in the CONCACAF Champions Cup they would need to win, which is exactly what they did with a score of 2-0.
The first half started off slow and at halftime the score was 0-0 which was not enough for the Whitecaps to advance. But at the start of the second half, the Whitecaps came out with a bang.
2 minutes into the second half, at the 47’ of the game striker Brian White scored, giving the Whitecaps a 1-0 lead over Saprissa. The assist went to winger Jayden Nelson, making this his fifth point (1G, 4A) in only two games started for the Whitecaps.
If the Whitecaps kept a clean sheet, a 1-0 lead would be enough for them to advance to Round 16. Whitecaps goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka did his part, making two saves, including an incredible save at the 65’ to keep the game 1-0. Towards the end of the match, Saprissa applied heavy pressure on the home team, but Takaoka and the Whitecaps survived the full 90’.
At the 90’ + 1’, White got the crowd on their feet, scoring his second of the game and securing a 2-0 win for the Whitecaps, stamping their ticket to Round of 16 in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. Next, the Whitecaps will face Mexico’s CF Monterrey.
When asked about White’s impactful performance, head coach Jesper Sørensen had this to say, “2 goals always makes things special when you win 2-0 and I think that he played very good and had a strong performance.” White played a crucial role in securing the victory against Saprissa, which Sørensen recognizes with his comments.
The Whitecaps face a quick turnaround playing their home-opener and second game of Major League Soccer (MLS) on March 2, 2025, against the LA Galaxy. This game will mark Sørensen’s MLS home debut. When asked about this quick turnaround he said, “We play the style we play and that’s what we need to be good at if we want to be a good team so we’ll prepare on the special things that we would like to do against Galaxy, but also go out and seek to play the way we want to.” With a clear focus on preparation, the Whitecaps look to make a strong home-opener for fans.
Sørensen believes in the Whitecaps group abilities observing, “We have a very good group… The players in Vancouver are very hard-working and very ambitious and determined to try to get better everyday.” With this mindset, Sørensen believes the Whitecaps will continue to grow and compete as a team.
“I learn every day I am here and that’s just the beauty of it I think,” says Sørensen and with the busy upcoming schedule the Whitecaps face there will be lots to see and learn. You can watch the Whitecaps in action yourself at BC Place on March 2, 5, and 8 before they head on the road.
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