Once again, the Vancouver Whitecaps are heading to Mexico to face an out of form giant of North American soccer in the second leg of a Concacaf Champions Cup tie, needing a result better than 1-1 to progress.

If this is giving you a sense of déjà vu, this was exactly the scenario that Vancouver faced and overcame to progress past Monterrey and into the quarterfinals.

They earned an historic 2-2 draw to progress on away goals in the last round, and Jesper Sørensen’s side will be confident of repeating the trick against Pumas, moving to the semi-finals of this competition for the first time since 2017.

There are more similarities between this round and the last-16 tie, as Vancouver dominated proceedings and probably should have taken a commanding lead from the first leg. However, a late equaliser from Adalberto Carrasquilla means once again the Whitecaps will require a mammoth effort to progress.

The mission is clear. The away goals rule means that 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 will be out.

Vancouver succeeded with this objective against Monterrey, but will they be able to do so against Pumas?

Pumas

Despite finishing 4^th in the Apertura phase in the Liga MX season, Pumas have had a disappointing Clausura. They currently sit in 10^th place, the final playoff spot, with a record of only 2 wins in their last 8 league matches including a 3-2 defeat to Cruz Azul over the weekend.

They have faltered in the Champions Cup as well, as they were almost shocked by Cavalry FC before beating Costa Rican side Alajuelense. These victories don’t stand out as being as dominant as the results you would expect from the top Mexican teams.

However, Pumas do currently lead the tie thanks to away goals, and they have threats to be wary of. Carrasquilla has already shown Vancouver his capabilities, and he was an impressive MLS player at Houston Dynamo before his winter transfer, whilst Ignacio Pussetto is Pumas’ top scorer with 5 goals in the Clausura, and striker Guillermo Martínez scored a brace to knock out Cavalry in the first round.

Pumas did rotate for the Whitecaps game, and given they have a vital league match in the playoff race against FC Juarez on the weekend, it would make sense for Efraín Juárez to prioritise that fixture and rotate his team again. Captain Lisandro Magallan will not play on Wednesday due to an injury he suffered in the first leg, and wingers Leo Suarez and Jorgje Ruvelcaba are returning from their own absences, so they may not start.

Vancouver Whitecaps

The Whitecaps are flying right now. They currently top the MLS Supporters Shield standings, and they returned to winning ways over the weekend with a dominant 2-0 victory over Colorado Rapids.

Andres Cubas returned to the starting lineup for that game, and he showed exactly why he is such an important player for Vancouver as he made 5 interceptions and 10 recoveries. He should be in line to start, and he may be joined by Emmanuel Sabbi. Sabbi looked a real threat when he came on off the bench in the first leg, and he scored on his first start of the season on Saturday, so he may be called upon to add some attacking spark.

Beyond that, changes are going to be difficult to predict. Sørensen has seemingly prioritised the league so far this season, and as the Whitecaps have a tricky home match against Austin FC on Saturday, we may see some rotation. However, the current injury crisis of Gauld, Adekugbe, Nelson, Utvik, and Laborda all being out injured may mean there’s less rotation than would be desired.

The defence will likely remain unchanged, as Johnson and Ocampo have excelled despite being thrust into key roles early into the season. Sebastian Berhalter has played in every game so far this season, so he may be rested for J.C Ngando to return to the team. Brian White is the joint top scorer in this competition and has found his goal-scoring form, and Daniel Rios has yet to impress in his outings, so White will likely partner Sabbi in attack.

Pumas have conceded in each of their last 6 games, meaning that there are defensive frailties for Vancouver to exploit if they get the opportunity. However, Pumas have won both of their home Champions Cup matches 2-0, and they will be optimistic about making this competition a bright spot in a poor second half of the season.

From what Vancouver have shown over the year so far, the Whitecaps have every chance to progress from this tie. They have yet another opportunity to earn a first victory in Mexico, and they will hope that history repeats itself and they enjoy another memorable night in Mexico. I feel that this is a major opportunity for the Whitecaps, and I predict that they will win and advance to the semi-final.