Mistakes costly for Vancouver Whitecaps in 3-1 Leagues Cup loss to FC Juarez

Juarez FC's Ettson Ayon (right) celebrates his goal with Ian Torres (10) as Vancouver Whitecaps goalkeeper Isaac Boehmer (32) walks away during the first half of a Leagues Cup soccer match in Vancouver, on Friday, Aug. 7, 2026. (Ethan Cairns / The Canadian Press)

VANCOUVER — Untimely errors once again foiled the Vancouver Whitecaps on Friday.

After controlling 62.3 per cent of possession across the game and outshooting their opponents 27-6, the ‘Caps fell 3-1 to FC Juárez in Vancouver.

It was the club’s second Leagues Cup upset of the week.

The team came into the tournament between Major League Soccer and LIGA MX sides as the ninth seed, but were beaten 1-0 by 10th-ranked Atlante FC on Tuesday before dropping Friday’s decision to the squad that currently holds last place in its league.

“Right now, when we make mistakes, we are punished very hard. And that’s sometimes the way it is in this game,” said head coach Jesper Sorensen.

“And of course, we can always say that we should not make them, but we will continue making mistakes, not on purpose but because that’s just what happens in this game. So we’ll have to see how we can adjust small things.”

Sorensen made a series of adjustments heading into Friday’s matchup, keeping just four of the players who started in Tuesday’s contest in the initial 11.

The revamped lineup quickly took over, controlling play and creating ample scoring chances.

Johnny Selemani put a ball in the back of the Juárez net nine minutes in, only to see referee Karen Hernandez Andrade wave the goal off, saying the rookie forward fouled an opponent on the play.

“Unfortunate result,” said Selemani, who got his first start for the Whitecaps. “We played very well, but we just have to come back stronger. And we’re a good team, so I think we’ll do good.”

The ‘Caps got a goal to stand in the 12th minute. Edier Ocampo ticked a ball to Jeevan Badwal as he darted into the penalty area, and the Canadian midfielder quickly sent a left-footed shot past keeper Sebastian Jurado to give Vancouver a 1-0 lead.

Twenty minutes into the matchup, the Whitecaps had six shots, including three on target, and a one-goal advantage.

Juárez made good on its best opportunity of the first half.

Jario Torres slipped a ball past Vancouver defender Tristan Blackmon, and his teammate Ettson Ayon was there to pick it up and hammer a shot past goalkeeper Isaac Boehmer. The 34th-minute tally levelled the score at 1-1.

“We have worked for this result,” said Juárez head coach Valero Salvador. “We know that Vancouver is not a leading team just by chance. It has very high-level players, but we had a game plan.”

The Whitecaps’ offence took a major hit in the 43rd minute when striker Brian White crumbled to the turf with an apparent lower-body injury. Trainers came out to take a look and signalled for a stretcher, but White eventually walked off the field on his own.

Sorensen said after the game that the American forward felt tightness in his hamstring and needed to be evaluated further.

White was replaced by Rayan Elloumi, who came within inches of restoring Vancouver’s lead in the third minute of first-half injury time. His header from in tight was sent just wide of the post off the fingertips of a diving Jurado.

The club continued its push in the second half, and Elloumi came close yet again in the 64th minute, sliding into the six-yard box in an attempt to send in a cross from J.C. Ngando that landed just beyond his foot.

It was Juarez that struck again in the 74th minute after Oscar Estupinan — who came off the bench for an injured Ayon in the 49th minute — picked up a loose ball in the midfield. He beat the Vancouver defenders up the pitch and popped a shot into the Whitecaps’ net to give the visitors a 2-1 lead.

The Whitecaps continued to dominate possession and peppered the Juarez net with shots, but couldn’t finish on a bevy of chances.

Boehmer came off his goal line to join the attack in the game’s final moments, and the LIGA MX side once again took advantage, with Ricardo Oliveira sending a blast into the yawning goal from the midfield to give Juarez a 3-1 victory in the fifth minute of stoppage time.

Vancouver will wrap up the tournament’s group stage against Tigres UNAL in San Nicolas, Mexico on Aug. 11.

After the group stage, the top four MLS clubs in the tournament will face the top four LIGA MX sides in the quarterfinals, running from Aug. 25 through 27.

Vancouver skipped Leagues Cup last season after reaching the round of 32 in both the 2023 and 2024 iterations.

This report by Gemma Karstens-Smith of The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 7, 2026.