'Resilient' Vancouver Whitecaps prepared for tough test against CF Monterrey

Vancouver Whitecaps' Brian White (24) celebrates his goal against Deportivo Saprissa as Ralph Priso (13) runs behind during the second half of a CONCACAF Champions Cup soccer match in Vancouver, on Thursday, February 27, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns

Jesper Sorensen likes what he’s seen in his first few months as head coach of the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Yes, the team is winning. But the Danish coach appreciates the way his players are working hard — and responding to adversity when it comes.

After starting 2025 with a painful last-minute 2-1 loss to Costa Rica’s Deportivo Saprissa in CONCACAF Champions Cup play, the ‘Caps rallied.

And that’s what caught Sorensen’s attention.

“I’ve seen a resilient team,” he said. “We were behind and struggled after the first game in Saprissa because we needed a win. And I saw a team that fought really hard to get that done the last cup game.”

Vancouver beat Saprissa 2-0 at home last Thursday to win the two-legged aggregate series 3-2 and advance to the round of 16.

The Whitecaps will kick off a two-legged set against LIGA MX club CF Monterrey at B.C. Place on Wednesday.

The second game goes March 12 in Mexico.

Rayados advanced in the tournament with a decisive 5-0 aggregate win over Canadian Premier League side Forge FC last month.

Featuring big-name defender Sergio Ramos, as well as midfielders Sergio Canales, Jesus Corona and Oliver Torres, Monterrey has ample fire power.

“A tough opponent, obviously. A team with a great history in this tournament. And a team with a lot of well-known players as well,” Sorensen said of Rayados. ”But of course, it’s also a great opportunity for us to go up against a good opponent and a tough opponent.”

Ramos is not expected to travel to Vancouver, but the ‘Caps know Monterrey is a threat even without the Spanish centre back.

“We need to focus now on the team that’s travelling here and to prepare for a game against them,” said Whitecaps defender Ranko Veselinovic. ”And they still have an unbelievable team, unbelievable players. So we focus on this game without him, and then we’ll see what happens in Monterrey.”

Between CONCACAF games, Vancouver has some early success in Major League Soccer action.

The team started its campaign with a dominant 4-1 victory over the regional-rival Portland Timbers, then downed the reigning MLS Cup champion L.A. Galaxy 2-1 in front of home fans on Sunday.

When the ‘Caps lineup against Rayados on Wednesday, they’ll be looking to earn a fourth-straight win across all competitions for the first time since March and April 2015.

The team has high ambitions, Sorensen said, and players are still adapting to some of the changes he’s made since being hired back in mid-January.

“I’ve also seen players really taking on the challenge some of the things we’ve been working on and progressing day by day,” the coach said. “And then I’ve seen a really strong group where everybody supports each other and helps each other every day and works well on the training ground and wants to push each other forward.”

The fast and furious early season schedule hasn’t given players much time to celebrate, though.

Wednesday’s matchup will be Vancouver’s fifth across all competitions in just 13 days.

“It is a lot of games at the moment, but us players, we like it when it’s like that,” Veselinovic said. “Everybody loves more games than training. So it’s good, especially when we have good results. It feels nice. There is not a lot of time to enjoy those wins, but if we continue winning, it’s going to be nice at the end.”

This report by Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press, was first published March 4, 2025.