The Vancouver Whitecaps are heading to the MLS Cup, playing for a league championship for the first time in franchise history. The Whitecaps advanced to the championship by earning a decisive 3-1 win over San Diego FC in the Western Conference Finals.
It didn’t take long for Vancouver to pull to a lead: Just eight minutes in, Brian White found the back of the net off a pass from Andres Cubas. And only three minutes later, the Whitecaps scored again off a wild shot that took an unfortunate bounce off the back of San Diego keeper Pablo Sisniega.
White made it a first-half brace in first-half stoppage time, using his chest to send a cross from Ali Ahmed into the goal, and bringing Vancouver to a dominant 3-0 lead.
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Despite that, San Diego came out in the second half with some substitutions and a renewed sense of energy. Star forward Hirving “Chucky” Lozano, who subbed in at halftime, immediately made an impact with a stunning ball that arced over the head of Whitecaps keeper Yuhei Takaoka.
Though the goal revitalized the San Diego crowd, SDFC’s chances fell dramatically after Sisniega got a straight red card after coming way off his line for a poor tackle. And a number of great saves from Takaoka in the final moments secured the brilliant 3-1 victory.
It will be the first final appearance for the Whitecaps in its franchise history since joining the league in 2011. Overall, it’s been a dream year for Vancouver, who finish with its best-ever record and will now vie for a championship.
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The Whitecaps will now travel to Fort Lauderdale to face Inter Miami, who punched its first-ever ticket with a dominant win over NYCFC earlier on Saturday. The cup is guaranteed a first-time winner, with both Miami and Vancouver advancing further than ever before to make it to this point.
San Diego FC’s inaugural season, meanwhile, comes to an end. SDFC ends the year with one of the best expansion runs in league history, picking up 19 wins and 63 points before ending the year in the semifinals.
Both conference finals may have been dominant wins, but it sets up a potentially thrilling league final. Inter Miami’s Tadeo Allende, who had a hat trick in the win over NYC, is on an absolute tear this postseason, while Miami has scored 17 total goals across five playoff games. Vancouver, meanwhile, has had some more mixed results, but have showed their strength in the face of some tough spots throughout the postseason.
Either way, it’ll be a first-time winner lifting the trophy, in what will hopefully be an exciting matchup up to that point.
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Tadeo Allende’s hat trick lifts Inter Miami into MLS Cup
Lionel Messi came to Miami with visions of lifting many trophies. His biggest prize yet since moving stateside is within striking distance after Inter Miami’s latest destruction of a conference foe.
Inter Miami took down NYCFC in style Saturday with a final score of 5-1 in the Eastern Conference final at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.
A first-half brace by Inter Miami’s Argentine winger Tadeo Allende got the celebration going early before NYCFC’s Justin Haak cut the deficit with a stunning header off a set-piece in the 37th minute. But a 67th-minute goal by Mateo Silvetti quelled any thoughts of a comeback and Inter Miami cruised to the finish line after Telasco Segovia and Allende added two more goals in the final 10 minutes.
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Messi and Co. can now sit back and watch Saturday’s Western Conference final between San Diego FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps to find out who they’ll be facing next week in the MLS Cup. It’ll be Miami’s first appearance in the championship match and a chance for retiring superstars Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets to ride off into the sunset with yet another trophy.
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Yahoo Sports Staff
Vancouver ends expansion-side San Diego’s run to MLS Cup with an emphatic road win. They’ll have to do it again on the road next week in Fort Lauderdale as Inter Miami will host the MLS Cup. It’ll be the Whitecaps’ first trip to the championship match and they’ll be facing an Inter Miami squad they beat twice in April in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
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Yahoo Sports Staff
Tataoka does it again! A last-minute save keeps the scoreline at 3-1 as Vancouver wins it in regulation.
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Yahoo Sports Staff
Tataoka makes another stellar save, this time after Duah blasts in a header that is blocked by Tataoka’s outstretched arm.
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Kari Anderson
Vancouver gets one off the post, as Brian White tries for a hat trick but gets denied.
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Kari Anderson
With Sisniega out, Duran Ferree is coming in for the Whitecaps, replacing Amahl Pellgrino.
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Kari Anderson
Sisniega comes way, way, way off his line to tackle Ryan Gauld, but does not get nearly enough ball to justify it.
San Diego will now finish the game with 10 men. This may be impossible for SDFC to overcome.
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Kari Anderson
Manu Duah gets a yellow card after a tough challenge on Emmanuel Sabbi, who is writhing on the ground after seemingly trying leap over Duah.
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Kari Anderson
Vancouver’s Emmanuel Sabbi sends in the ball with what looks like a surefire shot, but Duah heads it away at the last moment for a miraculous save.
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Kari Anderson
Right after San Diego scores, Thomas Müller is subbed out for Vancouver, replaced by Ryan Gauld.
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Kari Anderson
Lozano sends a long shot into goal, catching Yuhei Takaoka off guard as the ball arcs over his head. San Diego cuts into the deficit, making the game 3-1.
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Kari Anderson
Both teams are doing a good job of controlling pace, occasionally breaking through for some big chances but overall settling into a well-matched stalemate. San Diego, who looked somewhat frantic to get on the board towards the end of last half, is a little bit calmer this half — even though they are clearly hoping to break the clean sheet.
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Kari Anderson
San Diego is trying to start on a better foot with a trio of substitutions at halftime. Star forward Hirving “Chucky” Lozano, who started the game on the bench, comes in for Corey Baird, while Franco Negri replaces Ian Pilcher and Luca De La Torre comes in for Anibal Godoy.
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Kari Anderson
The Whitecaps have plenty of celebrating to do after that first half.
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Kari Anderson
Ali Ahmed outdribbles the San Diego defense and sends a beautiful cross to Brian White, who pops it into goal with his torso for a first-half brace.
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Kari Anderson
Another big missed opportunity in transition for San Diego, as Vancouver is able to serve it out, even as the Whitecaps accidentally give it right back to SDFC.
Overall, that was a very chaotic sequence, with several bodies are hitting the floor before the referee finally blew the whistle, giving San Diego a set piece just inside the attacking third. But even that chance fell flat.
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Kari Anderson
Yohei Takaoka leaps for the save there, as San Diego continues to press towards goal in the final minutes of the first half.
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Kari Anderson
That was some great progression from San Diego, who move the ball down the field. The only thing stopping a goal there was Tate Johnson, who gets a foot on it to send it out of bounds under pressure. San Diego forces a corner kick, and then another — with a shot that hits the post after taking a deflection off Whitecaps keeper Yohei Takaoka.
That leads to another corner kick, before Anders Dreyer’s shot goes over the top. And then there’s another corner, before Vancouver is finally able to clear it.
So that’s four set pieces, and three close calls, in the past several minutes for San Diego. But it stays 2-0 for now.
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Kari Anderson
San Diego midfielder Onni Valakari given a yellow card after a heavy touch.
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Kari Anderson
San Diego gets a dangerous free kick after Jeppe Tverskov gets fouled just outside the box. But SDFC’s first shot is blocked, and their subsequent re-tries are well-defended by Vancouver.
Sebastian Berhalter caps off the chance with a great save to get the ball out of the box. (The San Diego fans wanted a foul called in the box, but the officials rule it clean.)
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Kari Anderson
SDFC’s Luca Bombino strike a shot from distance off a corner kick, but his shot — while well-hit — goes well wide.
Soon after, Sebastian Berhalter tries to make it 3-0 with a sliding shot down the right side, but Sisniega is able to smother it.
