Cruz Azul vs. Vancouver Whitecaps, where to watch, live stream: Concacaf Champions Cup prediction, odds
Can the Whitecaps bring a title to Vancouver?
The champions of Concacaf will be decided on Sunday night as Cruz Azul and the Vancouver Whitecaps meet in Mexico with a trophy on the line. For the fourth consecutive time, a Liga MX side will face off with an MLS one in this competition and it has been one that Mexican teams have dominated. The Seattle Sounders are still the only MLS side to have won the championship, but the Whitecaps could have a chance to change that despite being unlikely subjects to win it all.
They will be without Sebastian Berhalter due to suspension and Ryan Gauld due to injury, so pressure will be on Pedro Vite in midfield, but manager Jesper Sorensen has had the team prepared for whatever comes their way no matter who has been available this season.
Here are storylines, how you can watch the match and more:
How to watch Cruz Azul vs. Vancouver Whitecaps, odds
- Date: Sunday, June 1 | Time: 9 p.m. ET
- Location: Estadio Olimpico Universitario -- Mexico City, Mexico
- TV: FS1 | Live stream: Fubo (Try for free)
- Odds: Cruz Azul -145; Draw +220; Vancouver Whitecaps +360
Last meeting
It's the first time that these two teams have met in their history, even with the creation of the Leagues Cup, which sees MLS and Liga MX sides play each other regularly. Vancouver has already gone into Mexico to get results against Pumas and Monterrey so far during this tournament, so they will like their chances even if they're in an area that MLS sides have regularly struggled.
Predicted lineups
Cruz Azul: Kevin Mier, Omar Campos, Jesus Orozco, Gonzalo Piovi, Willer Ditta, Jorge Sanchez, Lorenzo Faravelli, Erik Lira, Carlos Rodriguez, Angel Sepulveda, Mateusz Bogusz
Vancouver Whitecaps: Yohei Takaoka, Sam Adekugbe, Ranko Veselinovic, Tristan Blackmon, Mathias Laborda, Pedro Vite, Andres Cubas, J.S. Ngado, Ali Ahmed, Brian White, Jayden Nelson
Player to watch
Brian White, Vancouver Whitecaps: Everything for Vancouver goes through the American striker and that will be even more of the case in this match without Sebastian Berhalter in midfield. White's form has seen him called up to Mauricio Pochettino's Gold Cup squad, which won't be something that he's thinking about during this match, White has 15 goals in 21 appearances in all competitions this season and is in the running for the Concacaf Champions Cup Golden Boot with five goals so far in the tournament.
A monster in the air, White can matchup well with the physical defenders that Cruz Azul will throw at him and even if he doesn't score, being able to occupy space will ensure that his teammates can get into the attack and make things happen for Vancouver.
Storyline to watch
Will the moment get to Vancouver? So far, the Whitecaps have stood up to any challenge that has come their way, but now they're in uncharted territory not only for themselves, but they can also do something that hasn't been done in the City of Vancouver. While the Whitecaps have won the NASL Soccer Bowl in 1979, no team in Vancouver has won a championship in the modern top five sports leagues.
Not only will the Caps be trying to change history there, but they'll be trying to do it without a few of their best players. Most of this run has happened with Gauld sidelined, but Berhalter has been someone who stepped up to fill the void when he was absent and with him suspended, Sorensen will have to find a new gameplan. While the Caps have rotated plenty to keep the squad fresh, making sure that the moment isn't too big for them will be critical against a side as experienced as Cruz Azul.
Prediction
In a close match, Brian White will cancel out Cruz Azul's best efforts to go ahead, sending this match to extra time. While Cruz Azul may have the deeper side, this is where Sorensen's tactics come into play as Vancouver has just enough to push them over the line for a narrow victory. Pick: Cruz Azul 1, Vancouver Whitecaps 2 (after extra time)
Get your footy fix with CBS Sports Golazo Network and more
☀️ Morning Footy (Weekdays 8-10 a.m.): Join Golazo Network as it helps fans get their day started on the right foot on the network's flagship morning show with highlights, interviews and the biggest soccer storylines. Morning Footy is also available in podcast form, so you'll never have to miss an episode.
3️⃣ Attacking Third (Monday, Thursday): The leading women's soccer podcast and social brand is now a live studio show. The NWSL season is back and our coverage of the women's game is stronger than ever. Our analysts will be breaking down the USWNT, NWSL and European domestic season all year long. Don't miss Tuesday and Thursday live streams on YouTube at 11 a.m. ET with a Sunday wrap up after the last curtain falls on the last NWSL match of the weekend.
⚽ Call it What You Want (Monday and Thursday): A weekly podcast where Jimmy Conrad, Charlie Davies and Tony Meola cover all things USMNT and the state of the beautiful game in the United States. You can catch the show streaming live on YouTube every Tuesday and Thursday at 10 a.m. ET.
🥅 Scoreline (Daily): Scoreline is the newest place for fans to catch up on all the biggest news and results impacting global football, match highlights from the top soccer competitions and all the can't-miss goals from the day's action, starting Thursday and airing seven days a week.
📺 How to watch: CBS Sports Golazo Network is a free 24/7 channel exclusively dedicated to offering unparalleled coverage of all the top soccer competitions worldwide. You can stream for free on the CBS Sports app, Pluto TV and Paramount+.
What else is on Paramount+?
A subscription to Paramount+ not only comes with the best sports coverage in the industry, but you'll also have access to the vast library of on-demand content which includes more than 40,000 episodes and movies from Paramount, CBS, Nickelodeon and more. From popular shows like "Mayor of Kingstown" to episodes of "Frasier," there's no shortage of what to binge watch.
For more information, click here.
