Cruz Azul beats the Vancouver Whitecaps 5-0 for the CONCACAF Champions Cup title
Sepúlveda finished with a tournament-best nine goals. Ignacio Rivero, Lorenzo Faravelli and Mateusz Bogusz also scored for Cruz Azul, which built a 4-0 lead by halftime.
The Liga MX club tied crosstown rival Club America for most titles in the tournament. It was Cruz Azul's first title since 2013-14 when La Máquina beat Tijuana.
The Whitecaps were looking to make history as the first Canadian team to win the tournament, and the first winner from Major League Soccer since the Seattle Sounders in 2022.
'Cruz Azul is a club that demands a lot,' Cruz Azul coach Vicente Sánchez said through a translator. 'We prepared ourselves for this final. We had two weeks to prepare ourselves for this match, so we had a couple of friendly matches. Some players went to the national team. We knew this team, this rival.'
Cruz Azul had four shots on goal in the first half and scored on all of them. La Máquina took advantage of a defensive lapse by the Whitecaps and Ignacio Rivero coolly finished with his left foot in the seventh minute in front of cheering home fans at Estadio Olímpico Universitario.
Faravelli's goal came after a similar defensive lapse, struck from distance and went into the net after hitting the post.
After Sepúlveda's sliding goal in the 37th, Bogusz added a goal in the 45th just before the teams went into the break. Sepúlveda added another goal on a header in the 50th.
It was Cruz Azul goalkeeper Kevin Mier's fourth clean sheet of the tournament. The Whitecaps had no shots on goal during the match.
'I think that the main thing was that we were not able to come out with the calmness and confidence, and we were up against a team that came out very confident, playing at their home turf and and also in front of a great home crowd. So that was, I think, the main decider,' Whitecaps coach Jesper Sorensen said.
Vancouver was without Sebastian Berhalter because of yellow card accumulation. He scored in both legs of the semifinal against Lionel Messi and Inter Miami.
The Whitecaps had hoped that captain Ryan Gauld would return from a knee injury in time for the game but he was not available.
Cruz Azul advanced with a two-legged victory over UANL Tigres.
Sanchez, who took over as interim coach of La Máquina in January, was peppered with questions after the match about his future with the team. He fell to his knees and sobbed on the field after the final whistle.
'I don't know about the future. It's one day at a time,' Sanchez said. 'I don't know what is going to happen tomorrow. We have to enjoy today with the people that supported us, with fans. And tomorrow we'll see, the decision does not depend on me.'
It was the first meeting between the Whitecaps and Cruz Azul.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
11 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas joins Pumas in Mexico after some advice from Ramos and Herrera
MEXICO CITY (AP) — When former Real Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas got an offer to play in Mexico for UNAM Pumas, he knew who to ask for advice. The Costa Rica goalkeeper called his ex-Madrid teammate Sergio Ramos, as well as Costa Rica coach Miguel Herrera, before he eventually agreed to join Pumas in the top-tier Liga MX on a reported one-year contract. The move follows a six-month stint in Argentina with Newell's Old Boys. The 38-year-old Navas was introduced on Thursday as the Mexican side revamps its roster to try to end a 14-year spell without winning a league title. 'I'm here eager to give my all, to push myself, and to be on the pitch playing at my best,' Navas said. 'I have the mentality to make history, to be able to win a title. I believe we can achieve those goals by working with humility.' No details were given but Newell's Old Boys said it will receive $2 million as part of the deal. Ramos on Mexico Navas and Ramos played together for five seasons with Madrid, winning three Champions League titles. The pair also joined forces at Paris Saint-Germain where they were part of the team that won the Ligue 1 title in 2022. The 39-year-old Ramos signed with Mexican team Monterrey earlier this year. 'Sergio told me a little about his experience in Mexico. I know James (Rodriguez) is also here and playing at a high level,' Navas said at a press conference. 'Liga MX is growing and is very competitive, with a very good infrastructure, and I thought I'd come to a club where we can compete for titles.' James Rodriguez, who played with Navas and Ramos for four seasons with Madrid, also plays in Mexico with Leon. Pumas had already bought Wales midfielder Aaron Ramsey, Colombian left back Alvaro Angulo and Ecuador midfielder Pedro Vite. Help from Herrera Navas also called Herrera, who had coached six first division teams in Mexico before he was hired as coach of the Costa Rica men's national team as it attempts to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. 'I spoke with Miguel because he knows the league and the club well, and he told me I should sign without a doubt,' Navas said. 'I'm joining a big club, and having him in the national team helps you make these decisions.' Navas also made the decision to move closer to Central America because his national team has World Cup qualifying games, starting in September, with 'Los Ticos' in Group C with Honduras, Haiti and Nicaragua. ___
Hamilton Spectator
11 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas joins Pumas in Mexico after some advice from Ramos and Herrera
MEXICO CITY (AP) — When former Real Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas got an offer to play in Mexico for UNAM Pumas, he knew who to ask for advice. The Costa Rica goalkeeper called his ex-Madrid teammate Sergio Ramos, as well as Costa Rica coach Miguel Herrera, before he eventually agreed to join Pumas in the top-tier Liga MX on a reported one-year contract. The move follows a six-month stint in Argentina with Newell's Old Boys. The 38-year-old Navas was introduced on Thursday as the Mexican side revamps its roster to try to end a 14-year spell without winning a league title. 'I'm here eager to give my all, to push myself, and to be on the pitch playing at my best,' Navas said. 'I have the mentality to make history, to be able to win a title. I believe we can achieve those goals by working with humility.' No details were given but Newell's Old Boys said it will receive $2 million as part of the deal. Ramos on Mexico Navas and Ramos played together for five seasons with Madrid, winning three Champions League titles. The pair also joined forces at Paris Saint-Germain where they were part of the team that won the Ligue 1 title in 2022. The 39-year-old Ramos signed with Mexican team Monterrey earlier this year. 'Sergio told me a little about his experience in Mexico. I know James (Rodriguez) is also here and playing at a high level,' Navas said at a press conference. 'Liga MX is growing and is very competitive, with a very good infrastructure, and I thought I'd come to a club where we can compete for titles.' James Rodriguez, who played with Navas and Ramos for four seasons with Madrid, also plays in Mexico with Leon . Pumas had already bought Wales midfielder Aaron Ramsey, Colombian left back Alvaro Angulo and Ecuador midfielder Pedro Vite. Help from Herrera Navas also called Herrera, who had coached six first division teams in Mexico before he was hired as coach of the Costa Rica men's national team as it attempts to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. 'I spoke with Miguel because he knows the league and the club well, and he told me I should sign without a doubt,' Navas said. 'I'm joining a big club, and having him in the national team helps you make these decisions.' Navas also made the decision to move closer to Central America because his national team has World Cup qualifying games, starting in September, with 'Los Ticos' in Group C with Honduras, Haiti and Nicaragua. ___ AP soccer:
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas joins Pumas in Mexico after some advice from Ramos and Herrera
MEXICO CITY (AP) — When former Real Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas got an offer to play in Mexico for UNAM Pumas, he knew who to ask for advice. The Costa Rica goalkeeper called his ex-Madrid teammate Sergio Ramos, as well as Costa Rica coach Miguel Herrera, before he eventually agreed to join Pumas in the top-tier Liga MX on a reported one-year contract. The move follows a six-month stint in Argentina with Newell's Old Boys. The 38-year-old Navas was introduced on Thursday as the Mexican side revamps its roster to try to end a 14-year spell without winning a league title. 'I'm here eager to give my all, to push myself, and to be on the pitch playing at my best,' Navas said. 'I have the mentality to make history, to be able to win a title. I believe we can achieve those goals by working with humility.' No details were given but Newell's Old Boys said it will receive $2 million as part of the deal. Ramos on Mexico Navas and Ramos played together for five seasons with Madrid, winning three Champions League titles. The pair also joined forces at Paris Saint-Germain where they were part of the team that won the Ligue 1 title in 2022. The 39-year-old Ramos signed with Mexican team Monterrey earlier this year. 'Sergio told me a little about his experience in Mexico. I know James (Rodriguez) is also here and playing at a high level,' Navas said at a press conference. 'Liga MX is growing and is very competitive, with a very good infrastructure, and I thought I'd come to a club where we can compete for titles.' James Rodriguez, who played with Navas and Ramos for four seasons with Madrid, also plays in Mexico with Leon. Pumas had already bought Wales midfielder Aaron Ramsey, Colombian left back Alvaro Angulo and Ecuador midfielder Pedro Vite. Help from Herrera Navas also called Herrera, who had coached six first division teams in Mexico before he was hired as coach of the Costa Rica men's national team as it attempts to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. 'I spoke with Miguel because he knows the league and the club well, and he told me I should sign without a doubt,' Navas said. 'I'm joining a big club, and having him in the national team helps you make these decisions.' Navas also made the decision to move closer to Central America because his national team has World Cup qualifying games, starting in September, with 'Los Ticos' in Group C with Honduras, Haiti and Nicaragua. ___ AP soccer:
