Cruz Azul thrashed the Vancouver Whitecaps 5-0 on Sunday evening on the Estadio Olímpico Universitario within the last of the Concacaf Champions Cup to raise the trophy for a record-tying seventh time.
First-half targets from Ignacio Rivero, Lorenzo Faravelli, Ángel Sepúlveda and Mateusz Bogusz put the consequence out of sight for the Liga MX aspect with a 4-0 lead on the break.
“There are numerous tournaments the place we have been nearly champions, however we simply could not get it proper,” stated Cruz Azul’s Rodolfo Rotondi after the match. “Right this moment we performed with blood in our eyes, we did not give something away, a spectacular first half, after which we maintained our spirit, we stored attacking. It was an vital show of character from this workforce.”
Cruz Azul had 4 photographs on objective within the first half and scored on all of them. La Máquina took benefit of a defensive lapse by the Whitecaps and Rivero coolly completed together with his left foot within the seventh minute in entrance of the raucous residence followers.
Faravelli’s objective got here after an analogous defensive lapse, struck from distance and went into the web after hitting the submit. After Sepúlveda’s sliding objective within the thirty seventh, Bogusz added a objective within the forty fifth simply earlier than half-time.
The Whitecaps have been with out 2024-25 talisman Sebastian Berhalter, who was out on account of yellow card accumulation, and the rout continued within the second half with Sepúlveda heading residence his second objective of the evening minutes after the restart.
With the gang already celebrating, Cruz Azul supervisor Vicente Sánchez started to rotate out his prime gamers and regardless of a number of good probabilities down the stretch the hosts didn’t add to their lead.
It was Cruz Azul goalkeeper Kevin Mier’s fourth clear sheet of the event and he received the Golden Glove for his efforts. The Whitecaps had no photographs on objective through the match.
Cruz Azul is now tied with Membership América, which it beat on the best way to the ultimate, for probably the most titles within the historical past of the competitors with seven, and Sepúlveda secured the Golden Boot on this season’s Champions Cup together with his two targets giving him 9 for the marketing campaign.
Regardless of its historic domination of the competitors, it was the primary trophy for Cruz Azul in Concacaf’s elite membership event since 2013-14.
“[I’m} happy because the people support us, see what’s happening now in the stadium and how the people are, how they’re experiencing it, and as I just said to my family, my wife, my friend who were also there,” Rotondi added. “Hopefully, hopefully it’s the start of another title, but now it’s time to enjoy this one.”
The result ends an admirable run for Vancouver in the Champions Cup, despite the Canadian side coming up short in its quest for a first title in the competition and a first for an MLS team since the Seattle Sounders won it in 2022. The Whitecaps are in the midst of a stellar season in MLS, sitting atop the Western Conference with 32 points from 15 games.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this recap.