Willer Ditta (first to the left) and Kevin Mier (red) celebrate the consecration of Cruz Azul in the Concachampions.
Photo: EFE – José Méndez
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On a pleasant night, without shocks, the Blue Cross of Mexico became champion of the Concacaf 2025 Champions Cup by beating 5-0 to Vancouver Whitecaps in Canada this Sunday, in the final played at the University Olympic Stadium of Mexico City.
Among the champions there were two Colombians, goalkeeper Kevin Mier and defender Willer Ditta, both summoned by Nestor Lorenzo for the next double date of South American qualifiers. In the Canadian eleven there was also a tricolor footballer, Éider Ocampo.
The Uruguayan Ignacio Rivero, at minute 8, the Argentine Lorenzo Faraveli (28), Ángel Sepúlveda (37 and 50) and the Polish Mateusz Bogusz (45) made the goals for the celestial victory. It was the seventh time that the Cruz Azul achieves continental glory. Before, it was crowned in the editions of 1969, 1970, 1971, 1996, 1997 and 2013-2014.
“We assumed the final with a lot of responsibility and it was a round match. The reality is that we resolved it from the first half,” said Sepúlveda, who finished the top scorer of the tournament with nine goals.
The celestial fans predominated in the stadium, but there were about 700 followers who accompanied the Whitecaps and populated a small portion of tribune in a header.
The Vancouver was challenging with three attack players to confront the line of three central defenses, but did not have a single opportunity throughout the game. On the other hand, Cruz Azul showed his ambition with early incursions along the sides and intense high pressure that soon gave results.
At minute 8, Vancouver tried to play from the bottom. The Argentine Carlos Rotondi swept the ball to the Colombian Édier Ocampo and enable Rivero in the area, who signed the 1-0 with a satin and crossed shot almost from the front line.
To 28, after stealing the ball to the Argentine-Paraguayo Andrés Cubas, 'Lolo' Faraveli made the 2-0 with a shot from outside the area. Sepúlveda appeared at 37 to extend the right leg in the small area and convert 3-0 a center that Rotondi sent him from the left side.
Before the break, at 45, Bogusz was made of the ball in the boundaries of the area and from there sentenced 4-0 with a cross shot. After the fourth goal, the left side Sam Adekugbe looked baffled on the court as well as Vancouver fans in the gallery.
The second half was just a procedure
Cruz Azul went out to exercise overwhelming domain from the start of the second half. Sepúlveda was in charge of doing 5-0 to 50 with a header with the assistance of Jorge Sánchez.
At 70, the Japanese goalkeeper Yohei Takooka lost the ball out of his area, with the unprotected arch, the Greek striker Giorgos Giakoumakis sent a shot that the Serbian defense Ranko Vaselinovic cleared his head.
In the end the Whitecaps approached their followers to thank the support and they gave the players applause for having reached the final. “We made a couple of mistakes and they were very blunt every time they arrived. We cost us the altitude a lot, we did not know how to adapt and we are sad home,” said Daniel Ríos, Mexican forward of Vancouver.
After being bathed with the water of the icebox, Vicente Sánchez knelt on the side of the court to thank for the title between sobs. “I don't know the future, I live one day at the same time and I don't know what can happen tomorrow. Today you have to enjoy,” he said about possible continuity as a Cruz Azul coach. “The decision does not depend on me, I try not to think about things that do not depend on me.”
In addition, staying with the title, the machine was classified for the 2025 Intercontinental Cup and the 2029 Club World Cup. Meanwhile, the Colombian Mier and Ditta took course to Colombia to join the squad that will face Peru and Argentina in the next few days.
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