MIAMI, Florida – The Vancouver Whitecaps will seek to continue their high-scoring ways when they meet fellow Major League Soccer side Los Angeles FC in the first leg of the 2023 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League quarterfinals on Wednesday night at BC Place in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The Canadian champions were enormously impressive in a comprehensive 7-3 series win against Real Espana of Honduras in the Round of 16. Five different players accounted for the scoring, highlighted by a goal in each leg from Brian White.
The Whitecaps were 5-0 winners at home in the first leg and would love a similar result on Wednesday in hopes of reaching their first SCCL semifinal since the 2016-17 tournament.
While this will be the first SCCL match between the two teams, they have faced each other 11 times in MLS play, with four wins for each and three draws. In match-ups between Canadian and U.S. teams in the SCCL, the Canadian teams have a slight advantage with eight wins, four draws and six defeats.
The Whitecaps also have a history of eliminating an MLS opponent in the SCCL quarterfinals, doing so in the 2016-17 edition when they defeated the New York Red Bulls.
LAFC will pose a different challenge, though. The 2020 SCCL runners-up eliminated Alajuelense of Costa Rica 4-2 on aggregate on the strength of a Denis Bouanga hat trick and two Ryan Hollingshead assists in the first leg, followed by a superb Carlos Vela goal in the second leg. The Mexican striker now has six career goals in the SCCL.
Vancouver will try to counter with White and Cristian Dajome, who has two goals in seven career games versus LAFC, along with Ryan Gauld, who had two assists against Real Espana.
Stats, Game Notes Vancouver Whitecaps vs LAFC
Match Officials
Referee: Fernando Guerrero (MEX)
AR1 Ibrahim Martinez (MEX) AR2 Michel Espino (MEX)
4th Official: Daniel Quintero (MEX)
VAR: Erick Miranda (MEX) AVAR1 Diana Perez (MEX)
