Thursday night at BC Place, the Vancouver Whitecaps took another step closer to the CONCACAF Champions Cup Final, with a 2-0 first leg win over Inter Miami.

When you write about this kind of thing for long enough, it’s easy to become prone to hyperbole. Yet, I think I can say rather emphatically that Vancouver’s performance on Thursday night is one of the biggest in club history, and it will certainly become even more hallowed if the Whitecaps can finish the job down in Florida next Wednesday. Vancouver is on the precipice of a continental final, and that’s not something I thought I’d be saying back in January, when Jesper Sørensen had just been announced as Vancouver’s next head coach.

What was both impressive and interesting about the match itself, from a Vancouver perspective, is that things did not go according to plan, at least tactically. This match was destined to be a battle for ball control, and Miami very clearly had the advantage in that department, pretty much throughout the entirety of the match.

Miami, generally, have been able to rely on their key players to overcome certain deficiencies in their game, producing results even when the flow of the match was not always in their favour, but the Whitecaps really hit Miami with the uno reverse card in this one. Miami got the exact kind of match they were looking for, but simply were unable to do anything with it. Vancouver’s defence stood strong, limiting the impact of a very skilled but also very slow attacking duo of Messi and Suarez, while in attack Vancouver was energetic and pacey in transition, finishing off the two big chances they created with ruthless efficiency.

The maturity and diversity of this Whitecaps team, especially in big matches, is a huge credit to the demeanour and tactical acumen of Jesper Sørensen. It’s hard to truly quantify what he’s been able to do for this club, because the impact seems to outweigh any logical explanation you can provide.

Perhaps, then, an example is the best way to try to explain it: Tate Johnson was getting benched in MLS Next Pro games less than a year ago, and on Thursday he started for Vancouver at fullback, often marking Messi 1v1, and was one of Vancouver’s top performers on the night. Something like that doesn’t happen unless a manager creates an environment where players build confidence to an almost irrational level. Sørensen has been able to do that, and the whole squad appears to be reaping the benefits.

Alright, without further delay, let’s have a look at the player grades.

Yohei Takaoka – 6.5

The Japanese keeper did not have much to do, but he was very good with the ball at his feet in a couple moments where Vancouver needed that quality from him.

Tate Johnson – 8.5

It was quite funny that in a match that started out with a lot of nerves for Vancouver, Johnson looked completely unfazed. The young American held up really well in some very challenging 1v1 situations, and did a great job stepping up aggressively, disrupting Miami as they tried to build on his side of the pitch.

Ranko Veselinovic – 8.0

As a whole, the defensive line was incredibly organized for Vancouver, and that all starts with Ranko. Individually, he was aggressive in a couple moments where Vancouver needed a clearance, and he was also incredibly sharp with his passing, as Vancouver was forced into more direct long balls.

Tristan Blackmon – 8.0

The right side of Vancouver’s line was slightly more chaotic, especially with Ocampo surging forward at times leaving Blackmon to deal with more on his own. Thankfully, Blackmon has the range to handle those responsibilities.

Edier Ocampo – 8.5

If Ocampo can dial in his crossing, I think he has all the tools to be the best fullback in MLS. His pace is a huge problem for opposing defenders and he holds up quite well in his own half, as Jordi Alba was left notably quiet.

Andres Cubas – 7.0

This was a weird match for Cubas. It felt like he missed every pass he made in the first 15 minutes, and he had some players run past him in the midfield, which was very un-Cubas-like. He settled in though, and was much better from there on out, especially as Miami’s legs started to fade.

Pedro Vite – 8.5

Vite’s run and final pass on the opening goal were exceptional. There seems to be something about CONCACAF that brings the most out of him. If some European clubs were watching this one, I imagine the price just went way up.

Sebastian Berhalter – 8.5

Berhalter’s combination of aggression, physical fitness, and top-notch technical quality make him a force when deployed in the right role. He made so many of those gut-busting late runs in the second half, and was rewarded with Vancouver’s second goal.

Ali Ahmed – 6.0

The Canadian winger just couldn’t get the measure of Marcelo Weigandt (who I thought was Miami’s best player in this match). Ahmed kept trying to play the ball past Weigandt, but never managed to get both the ball and his body around the defender.

Brian White – 8.5

With a more diverse range of creative options around him, White appears to have turned streaky goal-scoring into an everyday habit. Not only did he make a great run on his goal, but his hold-up play throughout was also exceptional.

Daniel Rios – 6.5

Rios did a decent job crowding the box and making room for Ocampo on the right, but he was clearly struggling with something as the first half went on, and Sørensen changed things up after forty-five, bringing on Sabbi in his place. Rios’ role would have made more sense had Vancouver been able to hold the ball.

Substitutes – 8.0

Sabbi and Nelson did exactly what Vancouver was looking for on the second goal, stretching an old and tired Miami side. It was also just great to see Nelson back to full(ish) fitness. Both Ngando and Priso were also good, as they were calm on the ball when Vancouver needed that change of pace at times.

Alright, those were my thoughts from leg one. Let me know yours in the comments, as always.