‘They’ve been amazing’: Vancouver Whitecaps depth a strength in early season success

Tristan Blackmon of the Vancouver Whitecaps (33) is congratulated after scoring his side's second goal against Mexico's Pumas during a CONCACAF Champions Cup second leg quarterfinal soccer match in Mexico City on April 9, 2025. (AP Photo / Eduardo Verdugo)

VANCOUVER — It’s a goal Tristan Blackmon won’t soon forget.

His Vancouver Whitecaps were down a goal to LIGA MX side Pumas UNAM midway through stoppage time on Wednesday, but continued to press for the equalizer.

Edier Ocampo whipped a ball into the penalty area and found Blackmon at the top of the six-yard box. The veteran defender ticked a right-footed shot into the top of the net to level the score at 2-2 and push the ‘Caps through to the semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup.

“When I think back to when it happened, you kind of feel like you black out a little bit just because of what’s going on,” Blackmon said Friday. “But I told (teammate) Brian White, ‘I wish I was a striker and experienced more of these moments.’ It was really cool.”

Wednesday’s result has the Whitecaps (5-1-1) feeling confident as they prepare to host Austin FC (4-2-1) in Major League Soccer play on Saturday.

“Emotions were high in the past couple of days, so it’s an amazing feeling,” said defender Ranko Veselinovic. “Everyone’s talking about it, and it’s really nice to be in the semifinal with how we got through.

“But now we know that we have a tough game ahead, and we need to focus because we cannot allow ourselves to be worse now in the league because of the emotions of anything. We are in good positions and we want to stay in that position.”

The ‘Caps head into Saturday’s matchup sitting atop the MLS standings with 16 points across their first seven games of the season.

And thanks to Blackmon’s goal, Vancouver remains alive in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. The club will host Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami in the first leg of the two-game aggregate series on April 24.

Much of the early-season success has come without some of the Whitecaps’ biggest stars.

Defender Sam Adekugbe has been out with a quad injury since March 2 and attacking midfielder Ryan Gauld hasn’t played since March 8 when he suffered a kneecap strain. A hamstring issue has limited midfielder Jayden Nelson to just five league appearances this season, but he’s managed a goal and four assists across those contests.

“I can’t ask for more from the players, because they’ve been amazing,” said head coach Jesper Sorensen. “I think everybody has chipped in tremendously, and when people have gotten the opportunities, they’ve taken it.

“So I think that has been the most positive thing, that we also can see, ‘OK, we can trust each other, and we can trust the way we play, and we also can believe in each other.’ And that’s what builds and creates a good team.”

Depth has been key to Vancouver’s success, with the team getting goals from 10 different players in league play.

Unlikely faces have stepped in to play big minutes, too, including midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, who has started all 13 of Vancouver’s games across all competitions, and rookie defender Tate Johnson, who has appeared in four MLS games and four Champions Cup matchups.

Every player has fulfilled their roles early in the campaign, Blackmon said.

“You can’t just look for one guy in a stretch like this, where we’ve been pretty successful,” he said. “I think you have to look around the whole team and even the guys who aren’t starting every game. We have a really good group (and) I think a lot of guys have stepped up to play.”

The injured players have found their own ways to help the club, too, said Veselinovic, who’s been wearing the captain’s arm band in Gauld’s absence.

“Even the guys that are not ready right now, they’re always with us in the locker room. They’re helping us. They support us, and then we support them,” he said.

“We’re doing good so far, and we’re going to be even better when all the guys are back.”

AUSTIN FC (4-2-1) AT VANCOUVER WHITECAPS (5-1-1)

INS AND OUTS: Gauld (knee), Adekugbe (quad), Nelson (hamstring) and defender Mathias Laborda (hamstring) will all be absent from the Whitecaps’ lineup. Austin will be without midfielders Micah Burton (leg) and Ilie Sanchez (hamstring), defender Mikkel Desler (hamstring) and forward Diego Rubio (hamstring).

HISTORY BOOKS: The ‘Caps hold a 5-1-2 edge in all-time matchups between the two clubs, including a 1-0 road victory when the teams last met on Aug. 31.

KEEP IT CLEAN: Vancouver’s Yohei Takaoka and Austin’s Brad Stuver lead the league in shutouts this season with four apiece.

This report by Gemma Karstens-Smith of The Canadian Press was first published April 11, 2025.