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.
