The Vancouver Whitecaps made history. Against all odds and against Monterrey's stars, the Canadian team pulled off the dramatic draw on Mexican soil and qualified for the quarterfinals of the Concacaf Champions Cup on the away-goals tiebreaker. An achievement? Not unlikely.
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The game no one expected
All who set eyes on this meeting saw an anticipated script. Monterrey, a five-continent champion with a super-studded squad featuring Sergio Ramos and Sergio Canales, or at least that was the formation on one side. Facing the Whitecaps team that had yet to score an objective in Mexico in the Concacaf Champions Cup and was, in theory, only going to hold their own.
Rayados got off on the right foot, pushing the Whitecaps back and scoring with only four minutes elapsed, with Canales putting the ball home following a measured pass from Luis Reyes. It looked like it could be one-way traffic. And then it switched. The Whitecaps held firm, weathered the storm, and took opportunities when Monterrey was getting its nerves in knots.
At the 57th minute, Édier Ocampo brought an expertly choreographed team move to a finish to level the scores. The stadium felt the difference. Monterrey, having played like a team of champions with such assurance, suddenly realized it had a sharp issue. And that issue was by the name of Brian White.
The name that became a nightmare for Monterrey
If any Whitecaps player is breaking history, it's Brian White. Just having been called up to the USMNT, he substituted on for somebody off the bench and, in the 78th minute, slid behind the defense's back to score the goal that sent Vancouver on top on aggregate.
Knocking out a Mexican giant is never easy, though. And that was made clear in stoppage time. With Monterrey's 97th-minute penalty, given after a VAR review, Monterrey went ahead. Sergio Ramos, the man of big moments, came forward and coolly converted it to tie the score at 2-2 and aggregate to 3-3.
But destiny had other plans. The away-goals tiebreaker worked in favor of Vancouver, and though Monterrey had their deep-pocketed squad and home-field edge, they couldn't find the goal they so desperately needed. As the final whistle blew, the unthinkable had happened: Vancouver Whitecaps FC was moving on to the Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals.
What this qualification means for Whitecaps and MLS
Even if this victory was entirely a case of luck, it would still be historic. But the Whitecaps lost in their last six matches in all competitions.
And the numbers bear out that this was no ordinary win. Vancouver Whitecaps were only the second team in MLS history in the modern era of the Concacaf Champions Cup to eliminate a Liga MX opponent without winning the first leg at home. The first? Columbus Crew, against Tigres last season.