In leg 1 of the Concacaf Champions Cup preliminary round, Deportivo Saprissa defeated the Vancouver Whitecaps in Costa Rica thanks to an injury-time winner.

The Canadians lined up with Yohei Takaoka as the #1, Mathias Laborda, Ranko Veselinovic, Tristan Blackmon, and Samuel Adekugbe completing the backline. In the middle were Sebastian Berhalter, Andrés Cubas in the defensive role, and Jean-Claude Ngando, who made his first appearance since leaving the club on loan in 2023. Ali Ahmed played on the right wing, while Brian White and Ryan Gauld held the central areas up front.

Pedro Vite, Ralph Priso, and Jayden Nelson all appeared as substitutes in the second half.

On Saprissa's side, former Vancouver captain Kendall Waston played up front, a rare position for him.

The Whitecaps started strong, controlling possession and dictating play early on.

In the 21st minute, Ali Ahmed broke free down the right and squared it to Ryan Gauld, who struck first-time into the bottom right corner—Esteban Alvarado got a hand to it but couldn’t keep it out.

Saprissa players were met with loud boos throughout the first half, with frustration boiling over as the referee blew for halftime.

That energy fueled the home side after the break, as Saprissa dominated a Whitecaps team that struggled to respond.

Mariano Torres equalized in the 51st minute with a fantastic strike from distance.

Then, deep into stoppage time, Ariel Rodriguez pounced on a loose ball inside the box, slotting it past Yohei Takaoka to complete the comeback and give Saprissa the win.

What's next for Vancouver?

The Whitecaps travel to Portland to face the Timbers on Sunday in the first game of the 2025 Major League Soccer season, before returning home for the second leg against Saprissa at home on February 27.