The CONCACAF Champions Cup (CCC) Final kicks off on Sunday, June 1 at 9pm EST at the Estadio Olympic Universitario in Mexico City. While the Caps will be trying to become the first Canadian team to ever win CCC, Cruz Azul are making their record 9th appearance in the final, winning 7 times. Let’s break down both teams and make our best Cruz Azul vs Vancouver Whitecaps prediction.
Cruz Azul vs Vancouver Odds
- CA -143
- DRAW +275
- VAN +400
- CA to lift trophy -300
- VAN to lift trophy +225
- O2.5 +107
- U2.5 -138
- BTTS Yes +100
- BTTS No -138
Cruz Azul vs Vancouver Head-to-Head
This will be the first-ever meeting between the teams.
Cruz Azul Preview
Azul made a deep run in the Clausura playoffs, reaching the semifinals, but won 1-0 and then lost 2-1 to Club America, being eliminated on away goals. They were 3rd in the season at 9-6-2, just 1 and 4 points behind Club America (finalists) and Toluca (eventual champions).
They were 1/2 teams not lose at home, with the other being Toluca.
That Leg 2 loss to America was their first loss in 19 games. Their last loss was way back in mid-February. It’s also just 2 losses in 27 overall games.
Path to the final:
- Beat Real Hope 2-0 and 5-0
- Drew Seattle 0-0 and then won 4-1 at home in Leg 2
- Drew Club America 0-0 and then won 2-1 at home in Leg 2
- And drew Tigres 1-1 before winning 1-0 at home again in Leg 2
So Cruz Azul in each of the past 3 rounds, drew Leg 1 on the road before winning Leg 2 at home.
Good news as they’ll be hosting the final here in a stadium they’ve played in many times.
Vancouver Preview
At 9-5-1 and 32 points, the Whitecaps are tops in the West for MLS and just 2 points behind Philadelphia in the Supporters’ Shield race.
Path to the final:
- Started poorly losing 2-1 to Saprissa but then bounced back with a 2-0 Leg 2 win
- From there they drew 1-1 and 2-2 with Monterrey and advanced on away goals
- Then drew 1-1 and 2-2 again with Pumas and advanced on away goals
- In the semis, they spanked Inter Miami 2-0 and 3-1 to reach the final
On one hand they have plenty of experience with Mexican teams and have knocked out some big clubs. On the other hand, they’ve only won 3/8 games in the tournament and only 2 of their past 6. They have scored in every single game.
Looks at the season as a whole and Vancouver lost their first match against Saprissa in the CCC and have just 1 single loss in any competition in the 23 games following and none in their past 15. There’s been a ton of draws in their though at 7-8-0 in those last 15 and 1-4-0 in their past 5.
Due to yellow card accumulation, the Caps will be without a key player in Sebastian Berhalter for the final.
Cruz Azul vs Vancouver Whitecaps Picks
Cruz have been unstoppable at home while Vancouver has met every challenge in front of them and have scored in every game in the tournament.
Cruz Azul has never lost a CCC home game to an MLS team in Mexico. While Vancouver hasn’t beaten a Liga MX team in Mexico.
In Mexico and given Cruz Azul’s form you’d have to give the edge to La Maquina. But a better price in the odds could be the BTTS or the draw.
I took BTTS at +110 earlier, it’s now +100.
- CONCACAF Champions Cup Prediction: Both to Score (+100)
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Ryan Métivier is a seasoned editor, writer and communications professional with years of experience in all fields. When it comes to covering sports, he’s written for numerous outlets and organizations including the OHL, CHL, SportsXpress, Sports Betting Dime, Cleveland.com, MassLive, FanSided and others.
While he’ll always cheer for his hometown Toronto teams, when it comes to betting, his only allegiance is his bankroll. Ryan specializes in global soccer, the NFL and the NHL, but if there is a bet to be made, he’ll make it. As the founder of Shred The Spread, Ryan focuses on combining storylines, trends, analytics and good bankroll management to creating simple bets that make sense.
When not making a case for why both teams will score in an MLS soccer match, he can be found focusing his efforts on fitness, attempting to learn Spanish, cooking or planning his travel adventure.
