Whitecaps fall to Atlante FC in Leagues Cup opener

VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Whitecaps opened their Leagues Cup campaign with a 1-0 loss to Atlante FC on Tuesday. 

Jhojan Julio scored in the 40th minute to seal his side’s victory in the tournament between Major League Soccer and LIGA MX teams. 

The ‘Caps came into the game as favourites, sitting tied with Los Angeles FC atop the MLS Western Conference standings, but struggled across much of the first half, missing passes and looking uncharacteristically sloppy.

The club improved in the second half but couldn’t get a ball past Atlante keeper Oscar Jimenez, who made a total of four saves.

The Whitecaps host LIGA MX side FC Juarez on Friday before wrapping the group stage against Tigres UNAL in San Nicolas, Mexico on Aug. 11.

After the group stage, the top four MLS clubs in the tournament will face the top four LIGA MX sides in the quarterfinals, running from Aug. 25 to 27.

Vancouver skipped Leagues Cup last season after reaching the round of 32 in both the 2023 and 2024 iterations.

Goalkeeper Isaac Boehmer kept the Whitecaps in Tuesday’s game despite some testy first-half moments. 

He came up big in the 24th minute when Luis Puente got past defender Ralph Priso and sprinted up the field. The Atlante forward uncorked a blast from the top of the penalty area, but Boehmer read the play and got his right foot in the ball’s path. 

The 24-year-old Canadian couldn’t repeat the magic in the 40th minute. 

Stationed at the top of the box, Julio bodied Whitecaps defender Mathias Laborda off a ball, collected it at his feet and sent a shot soaring in past Boehmer’s outstretched fingertips. 

The ‘Caps nearly equalized three minutes later when striker Rayan Elloumi fired a right-footed attempt on goal from just above the six-yard box, only to see Jimenez make a diving save.

The home side dominated 63.5 per cent possession across the first half but were outshot 4-3, with Atlante holding a 3-2 edge in on-target attempts. The visitors took a 1-0 lead into the halftime break. 

Whitecaps head coach Jesper Sorensen made three halftime substitutions in an apparent attempt to spark his group. 

Emmanuel Sabbi — who came on for winger Cheikh Sabaly — provided instant offence and came within inches of levelling the score with left-footed shots that Jimenez turned away in the 47th and 48th minutes. 

Vancouver’s star midfielder Thomas Muller injected some further life into the group in the 64th minute, coming on for J.C. Ngando. 

Two minutes later, the ‘Caps got a pair of prime chances when Elloumi sent a left-footed shot over the crossbar and, moments later, Laborda’s header went up and over the net. 

The announced crowd of 19,824 booed lustily in the 89th minute when Tate Johnson was cut down inside the penalty area without a call from referee Ekaterina Koroleva. Chants of “ref you suck!” rang out as the Vancouver defender lay on the turf. He got up moments later and resumed play. 

The Whitecaps continued to press with a flurry of stoppage-time attempts, but couldn’t net the equalizer.