With their Concacaf Champions Cup dreams in the balance, Vancouver Whitecaps FC provided one of the most dramatic moments in club history.
The in-form Canadian club took down Pumas to advance to the CCC semifinals, with Tristan Blackmon‘s last-gasp 93rd-minute strike delivering a 2-2 draw in Wednesday’s Leg 2 quarterfinal clash in Mexico City. The goal sealed a 3-3 aggregate scoreline that sends Vancouver through to the tournament semifinals on away goals, where they’ll take on Lionel Messi and Inter Miami, who also advanced in thrilling fashion earlier Wednesday.
With the series level at 1-1 on aggregate after Leg 1 at BC Place, Vancouver’s Sebastian Berhalter opened Wednesday’s scoring in spectacular fashion, The 23-year-old got on the end of a cross from Daniel Ríos, acrobatically adjusting in mid-jump to backheel the ball past goalkeeper Álex Padilla.
Just four minutes later, Pumas pulled level through Guillermo Martínez. The veteran striker took advantage of a momentary lapse from Vancouver, pouncing on a scuffed clearance following a corner kick to find the net from close range.
Vancouver appeared headed for a heartbreaking exit when Ignacio Pussetto buried his own rebound in the 88th minute to put Pumas in position to advance. But Blackmon cemented himself in club lore when he smashed home a volley from close range deep into second-half stoppage time, finishing a cross from Édier Ocampo with gusto.
Goals
- 33′ – VAN – Sebastian Berhalter | WATCH
- 37′ – PUM – Guillermo Martínez | WATCH
- 88′ – PUM – Ignacio Pussetto | WATCH
- 90+3′ – VAN – Tristan Blackmon | WATCH
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: What a win! The ‘Caps have taken MLS by surprise already in 2025, and they’ve continued that form in continental competition. They had never beaten a Liga MX side in Concacaf play before this season, and now they’ve downed two giants, Pumas and Monterrey. Things keep getting better for a side that came into the season relatively unheralded.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: Defeat seemed certain to everyone watching, but the Whitecaps didn’t get the memo.
BIG GAME PLAYER! TRISTAN BLACKMON, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! #VWFC | #ConcaChampions pic.twitter.com/JeVYqJj5rC
— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) April 10, 2025
- MAN OF THE MATCH: Fantastic at both ends of the pitch, and the scorer of the series-winning goal, Blackmon is the obvious choice.
