Thursday night at Ricardo Saprissa Aymá Stadium in San Juan, Costa Rica, the Vancouver Whitecaps will open their Concacaf Champions Cup campaign (as well as the competitive portion of their 2025 season) against Deportivo Saprissa.

Vancouver’s off-season was highlighted by several dramas: from parting ways with Vanni Sartini, to the club being announced as officially for sale, and finally with Stuart Armstrong’s abrupt departure amidst pre-season camp.

Now, though, the Whitecaps are in a position where they must place those off-field matters behind them and focus on the task at hand. Namely, making a push to get the most out of a talented core group of players this season, and that starts with the Concacaf Champions Cup in Costa Rica.

Because of the Whitecaps’ growth as a club in recent years, moving into pot 2 of the initial draw, Vancouver won’t have to face the peril of a big Liga MX club in the first round of proceedings as they did last year against Tigres. This gives the Whitecaps a much better chance of making it out of the first round, though it does create some potential for early-season match congestion.

That is not to say that Saprissa will be a complete pushover, however. The Costa Rican side does have a history of success in this competition, even if it has been a while since they have reached those highs. Considering league form, Saprissa finished the most recent Apertura in second place, while they currently sit fifth in the Clausura after nine matches

Saprissa’s start to the second phase of their domestic season has certainly been a disappointment, as they’ve gone winless in their last four league matches, scoring only twice. This stands in stark contrast to last season’s successes throughout league play, where Saprissa won both the Apertura and Clausura by a healthy margin.

The strength of Saprissa’s squad comes primarily through its veteran players and uncomplicated style of play. 37-year-old Mariano Torres and 35-year-old David Guzmán have been holding down the midfield pivot in recent weeks, while 35-year-old Óscar Duarte and 37-year-old Kendall Waston have been key for Saprissa’s backline, though both key defenders have been dealing with injuries since the beginning of February, one of the reasons for Saprissa’s struggles.

Another key name for Saprissa, one Whitecaps supporters may be familiar with from his time in Portland, is 27-year-old winger Marvin Loría. The former Timber left MLS at the end of last season, and has recorded four goals and two assists in eight matches since joining his new team, tied for second across the league in terms of goal contributions in 2025.

⏰ 28’ Golazo de Marvin Loría, doblete y Saprissa aumenta la ventaja ante Liberia.

🔗 https://t.co/MJI5WuloLO pic.twitter.com/zxbJ31URzi

— FUTV (@FUTVCR) February 2, 2025

In general, Saprissa likes to sit in some version of a 4-4-2 shape, and they are quick to move the ball vertically up the pitch when in possession. Manager José Giacone’s team prefers to create transition chances from a deeper block, rather than trying to control the game through patient buildup play.

Giacone’s side, therefore, presents an interesting opening matchup for Vancouver’s Jesper Sørensen, who is keen to have the Whitecaps be more patient on the ball than they were under Vanni Sartini. We will see if the Dane can use these tactics to good effect in Costa Rica.

In terms of Vancouver’s squad for this match, I would expect to see at least some rotation away from a first choice Starting XI, as the Whitecaps have their MLS Season opener against the Timbers in Portland on Sunday afternoon, and I would think that takes priority, ultimately, over this cup match. When it comes to injuries and absences, both Damir Kreilach (calf) and Emmanuel Sabbi (ankle) are out.

At the end of the day, Vancouver’s mission against Saprissa is pretty simple. As long as they can secure an away goal and some form of result, they will be in the drivers seat heading back to BC Place in a week’s time. I think this is quite achievable, even with some squad rotation, so I’ll say the Whitecaps take this match by a score of 3-1.