Cruz Azul 5-0 Vancouver Whitecaps: Demolition job secures Concacaf Champions Cup glory

Cruz Azul are the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup winners after hammering Vancouver Whitecaps 5-0 in the final on Sunday.

The Mexican side dominated the game and were ruthless in transition, punishing the Whitecaps for any defensive slackness they exhibited.

It was 1-0 after just eight minutes through Ignacio Rivero, who profited from a sloppy pass in midfield to finish clinically.

Just 20 minutes later, more loose possession was punished by the Mexican side, with Lorenzo Favarelli pouncing on some loose Whitecaps control, before taking a touch and hammering in off the post from outside the penalty area.

The match itself was more or less over as a contest in the 37th minute when Angel Sepulveda turned home Carlos Rotondi's pacey cross from the left-hand side, but Cruz Azul were not done for the half yet.

On the stroke of half-time, Mateusz Bogusz hit an angled shot from the edge of the area that flew into the side of the net. Yet again, the ball had come to a Cruz Azul player from a loose Whitecaps clearance.

The rout was completed five minutes into the second half, when leading scorer Sepulveda finished off a transition by nodding in from an inviting cross for his ninth goal of the tournament.

The Whitecaps were forced into a goal-line clearance after goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka was robbed in possession with 20 minutes remaining, but by that point, the damage was done and the trophy well and truly secured for Cruz Azul.

Data Debrief: Azul in Cruz control

Vancouver were restricted to no shots on goal during the match, thus registering an expected goals (xG) of zero. Cruz Azul, meanwhile, finished with an xG of 1.47, having had 18 attempts on goal with eight on target.

Cruz Azul (549 to 268) also registered more than double the number of passes recorded by the Whitecaps, who became the first team to trail by four goals at half-time of any Concacaf Champions Cup match since Real Estelí against Columbus Crew in 2021.

While Sepulveda finished as the leading marksman - three goals clear of the Whitecaps' Brian White (six) - Rotondi topped the assists chart with three after setting the former and Rivero.