Vancouver Whitecaps Show Their Credentials on Historic Night While Lionel Messi, Inter Miami Are Booed | OneFootball

On a regular matchday, the cavernous upper bowl of Vancouver’s BC Place sits silent. Yet, it’s a sleeping giant of North America’s sporting theatres, roaring to life when the right actors grace its stage.

Since opening in 1983, the stadium has hosted some of the world’s most significant musical acts, the Olympics, World Cups, sporting superstars, and even Queen Elizabeth II.

Thursday was no different, with eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi taking the pitch for Inter Miami CF against the hometown Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal.

For many of the 53,387 fans in attendance, the day was about the diminutive Argentine and his Miami side, finally hitting Canada’s west coast after an infamously skipped trip in 2024.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC supporters came out in record numbers against Inter Miami CF / Anne-Marie Sorvin-Imagn Images

That didn’t last long, though. Whitecaps FC quickly took the spotlight, shunning Miami to the supporting cast, with a 2–0 win to seal the first leg.

Despite splashes of pink, boos reined down on the Argentine No. 10 whenever he touched the ball. Meanwhile, Vancouver buildups crescendoed, reaching a euphoric catharsis when Brian White opened the scoring in the 22nd minute and when Sebastian Berhalter doubled the lead in the 85th.

“It’s nice to have those kinds of moments,” White said after the match, which gave the Whitecaps an advantage heading into the second game of the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals. “Obviously, these kinds of numbers don’t always come around. Hopefully they enjoyed what they saw on the field, enjoyed the performance and continue to come to games.”

A new chapter of Whitecaps FC history

Even with the attention on Miami, the Whitecaps quickly turned the crowd in their favor, putting together a result that not only puts them in a commanding position to make the Concacaf Champions Cup final but also helped write a standout chapter in Vancouver’s storied soccer history.

White’s goal, which came at the end of a buildup that has become synonymous with Vancouver's purposeful, possession-based efforts under new head coach Jesper Sørensen, put the American striker fourth all-time in club scoring.

He tied Carl Valentine, who helped lead the team to the 1979 NASL Soccer Bowl, a widely regarded highlight of the club’s best era.

“I knew I was narrowing down on Carl Valentine,” White added. “It's a big honor. I came into the club as more of a backup and kind of cemented myself in terms of goal scorers in the club. Carl was a great player for this club. He's a great person, a great guy to have around the team.”

While there aren’t many connections between 1979 and the current Whitecaps, the two eras intertwining now fit seamlessly. When MLS granted Vancouver an expansion franchise for the 2011 season, they saw it as a passionate supporter base, and one that, with a good team, could rival the best markets in MLS.

Things haven’t quite gone to plan since then, with the ‘Caps never making it past the second round of the MLS Cup Playoffs, and often struggling to win big games. Yet, something changed on Thursday, as they pushed past the crowd’s pressures and Messi’s aura, putting another shimmer on a stellar season that remains on a doubtful base, with the club up for sale.

Meeting the past era in the process seemed just right. The first leg started as a focus on Messi and what Miami could offer. However, it very quickly turned into a reminder of just how rich Vancouver can be as a soccer market in North America.

“It was a great and amazing evening, an amazing atmosphere, and playing in an amazing stadium for great fans,” Sørensen said.  “If you can’t be excited about a night like tonight, then it’s difficult. It was great support. I think it was everybody who put all the energy they had.”

“I’m very proud of every player who stepped on the pitch because we also knew that this was a special occasion and we had to put everything on the pitch, and every player put everything on the pitch.”

Tate Johnson's Rise with Whitecaps an MLS wonderstory

Tate Johnson (left) went from the UNC Tar Heels to defending Lionel Messi in a Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal in less than a year / Simon Fearn-Imagn Images

While the entire Whitecaps effort stood out and sent the Herons home frustrated, no other players have had a journey like Tate Johnson.

Just eight months ago, the 19-year-old American fullback was in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, playing NCAA soccer with the UNC Tar Heels. On Thursday, continuing to fill in for the injured Canadian international Sam Adekugbe, he looked over one shoulder to see Messi, before peering over the other to see Luis Suárez.

“I definitely didn’t expect [to be playing Messi],” Johnson said, recalling his life at UNC. “I was just happy to be out there, and work with the good group of guys to get a good result at home.”

Winning big matches is part of a family tradition, with his father, Brian Johnson, winning the 2000 MLS Cup with the Kansas City Wizards. Yet, stepping right into making club history is a mark few can measure up to.

“It’s a great story, to be honest. I think Tate has proven to be ready for every task we give him. He’s never let us down,” Sørensen said. “He was a guy that we thought that we would work with for a while, then make him ready to play. We threw him into the water, and he just swims.”

Vancouver Whitecaps FC's recent success is a reminder of why MLS added the city in 2011. / Courtesy of Concacaf

Since making his MLS debut earlier in the season, he has quickly developed, earning praise from his teammates and across the league. Despite being matched up with Messi, Suárez and Telasco Segovia throughout the night, he finished with five defensive actions, three interceptions and five passes into the final third.

“I don’t think I’ve seen anything like it. I think he’s literally gone from college six months ago,” Berhalter said of Johson. “It’s really incredible, playing against one of the best players ever and holding his own, looking comfortable. He looked like he’s been playing for the last ten years. So he’s someone that I’m excited for, and I just want to see him do well.”

Rises in global soccer can be sharp, but the surprise that is Johnson’s rookie season coincides with the rekindling of local soccer passion on Canada’s west coast. It’s a young, exciting Whitecaps team, and one that ushers in a new era, bringing the heartbeat back to the upper bowl, even with the team’s uncertain future past 2025.

Of all the analysis though, the Whitecaps supporters may have said it best themselves with their pre-match tifo: "You allowed us to dream again. Three games to go, give ‘em hell boys."

Give 'em hell they did. Now, onto next week, looking to do it all again.