The Vancouver Whitecaps enter the lion’s den that is Mexico in the CONCACAF Champions Cup as they take on CF Monterrey in the second leg of their round of 16 tie.

Last year, Vancouver took a 1-1 draw back to Rayados’ rivals Tigres, but they lost 3-0 thanks to two late goals in Mexico to end their dream of continental glory. This time, the Whitecaps travel to Estadio Corona, the home of Santos Laguna, as Monterrey’s stadium is occupied by a Shakira concert, hoping to go one better and progress to the quarter finals.

The assignment is simple to understand. Away goals still matter in the Champions Cup, meaning the Whitecaps must score. If they win, or draw with more goals scored than 1-1, they progress. Defeat or a 0-0 draw and they are eliminated.

There are plenty of reasons for Vancouver to be optimistic about their chances. They are 3 wins from 3 in MLS, and were outstanding in all 3 matches. They played well in both legs against Saprissa, and were unlucky to only draw in the first leg against Monterrey at BC Place.

However, the Whitecaps haven’t won in Mexico during the MLS era, and Rayados have won their last four consecutive home games. With Ryan Gauld, Jayden Nelson, and Sam Adekugbe absent, Vancouver will require a herculean effort to progress to the quarterfinals.

CF Monterrey

Monterrey rotated heavily for their trip to Vancouver to prioritise their league fixture against Cruz Azul over the weekend. They currently sit ninth in the Clausura standings of Liga MX after 11 games, although they are still well-placed to earn a place in the end of season playoffs.

That might mean that they rotate less than the 10 changes they made for the first leg, as the Champions Cup is a competition that they will sense an opportunity to win. However, Rayados were unchanged between their last two league matches, so it is clear they are still focusing on the league. Therefore, I predict there will still be some rotation due to the pressure to alleviate their poor league form.

Lucas Ocampos, Sergio Canales and Oliver Torres all have valuable experience having played in the UEFA Champions League, whilst striker German Berterame has already scored 5 Clausara goals in just 9 matches. These players may be rested, but they will still certainly be dangerous if they are brought on with Rayados chasing the game.

Monterrey also have World Cup and 4-time Champions League winner Sergio Ramos in their squad. He didn’t travel to Vancouver for the first leg, but he started and scored on Saturday against Cruz Azul, and his experience will be dangerous for the Whitecaps.

Vancouver Whitecaps

Jesper Sørensen has got his Whitecaps team playing brilliantly in 2025, and they will fancy their chances of causing an upset. Gauld, Nelson, and Adekugbe have all been brilliant this season but will be absent. However, Vancouver have proven that this team has more quality in its depth pieces than in previous years, and they will believe that they can get the result they need regardless of absences.

To have any chance of progression, the first task the Whitecaps have is to score an away goal. Last week they generated 3.01 xG in the first leg, showing that they have the quality to create chances against this opponent. Scoring a goal is also a very realistic target, as the Whitecaps have scored in every game this season, and Monterrey have conceded in each of their last six.

Sørensen may also choose to rotate his squad to prioritise the weekend trip to Dallas. Belal Halbouni scored in the first leg, and he may be rewarded with another start, while Isaac Boehmer started in goal instead of Yohei Takaoka. Ralph Priso and JC Ngando also started that game and impressed before being dropped on Saturday, so they may be in line to start the second leg. Daniel Rios has played in Liga MX before and will be familiar with the hostile atmosphere, so he may get the start up front instead of Brian White.

Monterrey are not the only team with superstar goal-scoring defenders. Halbouni equalised with a thumping header in the first leg, and Matthias Laborda and Tate Johnson scored brilliant goals against Montreal to earn the victory. In fact, Vancouver have had 8 different goal-scorers already this season, suggesting they are more collectively threatening than previously rather than relying solely on the quality of a handful of key players.

Although Monterrey have players for Vancouver to be wary of, the quality the Whitecaps have shown this season shows that they have every chance of pulling off the shock and progressing to the next round.

Due to their poor start to the Clausara, Monterrey are under more pressure than Vancouver are to get a result. If the Whitecaps can score an early goal and make Rayados and the home crowd panic, they may get more opportunities. If they take them, they have every chance to win the tie.

In the season preview my bold prediction was that the Whitecaps would progress from this tie. Given their performances so far this season, they are firmly with a chance of causing the upset and knock out the Mexican giants.