Vancouver Whitecaps coach Jesper Sorensen reveals how his team tried to stop Lionel Messi after 5-1 aggregate win in CONCACAF Champions Cup

Vancouver Whitecaps coach Jesper Sorensen has disclosed what his team did to shut down Lionel Messi and Inter Miami during their CONCACAF semifinal second leg clash on Wednesday, April 30. The Canadian-based outfit eliminated the Herons with a 5-1 aggregate scoreline.

Having lost 2-0 in the first leg, Messi and Co. approached the return fixture hoping to come back. They looked to be heading in the right direction after Jordi Alba scored the opener at the Chase Stadium nine minutes into the game.

However, Javier Mascherano's side failed to find a second goal to level the tie and eventually took their foot off the gas. Vancouver scored twice in two minutes through Brian Whitye (51') and Pedro Vite (53'), reclaiming their two-goal advantage. A Sebastian Berhalter strike in the 71st minute made it 3-1 to the Whitecaps, ensuring their place in the CONCACAF Champions Cup final.

Speaking after the game, Jesper Sorensen spoke about Lionel Messi and how his team tried to stop the Argentine by preventing Inter Miami from playing through him. He said (via GOAL)

"You know, you can't stop them, you can only limit them. I think you can't really control Messi—not only is he good at scoring, but he also handles the ball so well. They didn’t finish one of their chances, and you just try to limit them."

"He’s just too good. You can't leave him alone, he's very smart. He knows what to do before he even gets the ball. So we had to try to prevent the team from playing through him. Busquets had too much space in the first match, so we tried to press him more," Sorensen added.

The Whitecaps will now face the winner of the other semifinal between Mexican sides Cruz Azul and Tigres in the final on June 1.

How did Lionel Messi perform against Vancouver Whitecaps in the CONCACAF semifinal second leg?

Lionel Messi couldn't do much to help his side avoid elimination from the CONCACAF Champions Cup. After firing a blank in the first leg loss (2-0) away from home, the Argentine was expected to spur the Herons to another comeback like he did in the quarter-finals against LAFC.

However, Messi failed to replicate his heroics from the previous round as he was kept shut by the Vancouver defense. In 90 minutes on the pitch, the 37-year-old managed only three touches in the opposition's box and three passes into the final third. He was dispossessed of the ball three times, created only one chance, and landed only two shots on target from six attempts.

Lionel Messi recorded five goals and an assist in seven appearances in the competition. Inter Miami will now shift focus to the MLS, where they next face New York on Sunday, May 4.