The Vancouver Whitecaps suffered a disappointing 1-0 loss to Cavalry FC in the Canadian Championship, despite winning the first leg. Coach Vanni Sartini expressed his disappointment in the team’s performance, calling it “shameful.” The only goal of the match came from an own goal by Whitecaps defender Ranko Veselinovic. The aggregate score over the two matches was 2-2, but the Whitecaps had the advantage with their away goal. Cavalry’s win marked their second victory at BC Place, with coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr. praising his team’s effort and expressing pride in their performance.
Despite the loss, the Whitecaps struggled to create scoring opportunities during the match and have only scored three goals in their last six games. The team’s captain, Ryan Gauld, acknowledged the poor performance but emphasized the need to move forward and focus on the upcoming games. The Canadian Championship semifinal will be a home-and-home series, with the winner qualifying for the CONCACAF Champions Cup. Sartini emphasized the importance of deserving to move on in the competition and vowed to improve the team’s performance in the next round.
Attendance at the match was significantly lower than usual, with just over 11,000 fans in attendance. The Whitecaps have had a strong record against Canadian opponents since Sartini took over as head coach in 2021, but the loss to Cavalry marked a setback. On the same day, Toronto FC secured a dominant 8-1 victory to advance to the semifinals. The upcoming match against Inter Miami CF is highly anticipated, with the potential for Lionel Messi to make his first and only appearance in Vancouver. Despite the disappointing result, both teams are now looking ahead to their next challenges in the competition.
