On a regular matchday, the cavernous upper bowl of Vancouver’s BC Place sits silent. Yet, it’s a sleeping giant of North America’s sporting theatres, roaring to life when the right actors grace its stage.
Since opening in 1983, the stadium has hosted some of the world’s most significant musical acts, the Olympics, World Cups, sporting superstars, and even Queen Elizabeth II.
Thursday was no different, with eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi taking the pitch for Inter Miami CF against the hometown Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal.
For many of the 53,387 fans in attendance, the day was about the diminutive Argentine and his Miami side, finally hitting Canada’s west coast after an infamously skipped trip in 2024.
That didn’t last long, though. Whitecaps FC quickly took the spotlight, shunning Miami to the supporting cast, with a 2–0 win to seal the first leg.
Despite splashes of pink, boos reined down on the Argentine No. 10 whenever he touched the ball. Meanwhile, Vancouver buildups crescendoed, reaching a euphoric catharsis when Brian White opened the scoring in the 22nd minute and when Sebastian Berhalter doubled the lead in the 85th.
“It’s nice to have those kinds of moments,” White said after the match, which gave the Whitecaps an advantage heading into the second game of the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals. “Obviously, these kinds of numbers don’t always come around. Hopefully they enjoyed what they saw on the field, enjoyed the performance and continue to come to games.”
A new chapter of Whitecaps FC history
Even with the attention on Miami, the Whitecaps quickly turned the crowd in their favor, putting together a result that not only puts them in a commanding position to make the Concacaf Champions Cup final but also helped write a standout chapter in Vancouver’s storied soccer history.
White’s goal, which came at the end of a buildup that has become synonymous with Vancouver's purposeful, possession-based efforts under new head coach Jesper Sørensen, put the American striker fourth all-time in club scoring.
He tied Carl Valentine, who helped lead the team to the 1979 NASL Soccer Bowl, a widely regarded highlight of the club’s best era.
“I knew I was narrowing down on Carl Valentine,” White added. “It's a big honor. I came into the club as more of a backup and kind of cemented myself in terms of goal scorers in the club. Carl was a great player for this club. He's a great person, a great guy to have around the team.”
While there aren’t many connections between 1979 and the current Whitecaps, the two eras intertwining now fit seamlessly. When MLS granted Vancouver an expansion franchise for the 2011 season, they saw it as a passionate supporter base, and one that, with a good team, could rival the best markets in MLS.
Things haven’t quite gone to plan since then, with the ‘Caps never making it past the second round of the MLS Cup Playoffs, and often struggling to win big games. Yet, something changed on Thursday, as they pushed past the crowd’s pressures and Messi’s aura, putting another shimmer on a stellar season that remains on a doubtful base, with the club up for sale.
Meeting the past era in the process seemed just right. The first leg started as a focus on Messi and what Miami could offer. However, it very quickly turned into a reminder of just how rich Vancouver can be as a soccer market in North America.
