With that, we’ll bid farewell to the 30th Major League Soccer season, which is about 27 more than the naysayers thought it would have. Thanks for following along with us today, and check back for more analysis.

David Beckham: “It’s a moment that I’ll cherish forever. … I promised back in 2013 that we were going to bring in the best players.”

He also praises Vancouver and admits to some nerves when the Whitecaps equalized and almost went ahead.

Peter Oh checks in (where’ve you been?): “As a Galaxy fan I don’t really care who wins this, but I find myself rooting for Vancouver. I admire the Barça Alumni Club as players, but the Miami model that they’ve unleashed on MLS is more self-serving than beneficial to the league, in my humble opinion. Having said that, I wouldn’t begrudge Messi Inc. a different trophy: The FIFA Pink Prize.”

Kurt Perleberg wants to know if Miami will next sign Cristiano Ronaldo. Yikes.

As mentioned at the start here, some great players have come into MLS and either struggled or simply not had the team around them to lift trophies. But none were as great as Messi. And no one had a better team around him, full of fellow Argentines and other players who’ve had world-class careers, along with complementary players who fit together exceptionally well.

90 min +6: Segovia dives unconvincingly but gets back up to help win the ball back for Miami while the Whitecaps desperately chase.

90 min +5: Direct again for the Whitecaps, and they lose it again. Miami move forward, and Berhalter commits a needless foul. He gets yellow, and Miami can kill some time.

90 min +4: This is about as nervous as I’ve ever seen David Beckham, the Miami co-owner.

90 min +3: Messi is about 80 yards offside. Flag goes up.

Vancouver go direct, a bit too aimlessly. Need more composure here.

90 min +2: Messi and Berhalter race for the ball, and Berhalter falls down. He slows it down but keeps possession. In the end, it’s a poor ball forward from Busquets, strangely enough.

90 min +1: Nelson replaces Sabbi for Vancouver. For Miami, it’s Weigandt replaces the limping Ian Fray.

Seven minutes of stoppage time.

90 min: Someone in the crowd has a very loud whistle.

Blackmon is back.

Vancouver play into the box. Alba clears. His last game.

89 min: Vancouver is playing with 10 men right now because Tristan Blackmon went off for treatment and won’t be allowed back on just yet.

88 min: We’re in the “would you please mind putting the ball back in play before the ref adds 20 minutes?” phase of the game.

86 min: Yellow to De Paul after a midfield altercation.

Miami now four minutes plus stoppage time away from a 2-1 win.

Yellow to Laborda after the Vancouver player knocks down Segovia.

84 min: Good punch from Rios Novo, but Messi handles the ball as Miami try to break free, and it’ll be a free kick for the Whitecaps. They take it short and try to catch Miami napping, and it’s a nervy moment at the back for Inter.

83 min: At last, Vancouver will have a corner. Berhalter will take it.

82 min: Cabrera replaces Cubas for Vancouver.

81 min: Segovia presses but fouls. Whitecaps reclaim possession. But Miami’s midfielders are no longer quite as passive as they were earlier, and Vancouver’s passes aren’t getting them anywhere.

80 min: It’s a battle of turnovers now, dragging down the passing percentages for both teams.

78 min: Miami sub – Bright for Silvetti.

77 min: Another Vancouver turnover. They’ve been better for the most part but have suffered mightily for a couple of mistakes.

76 min: Miami do little with the corner, but they keep possession, and that’s better than a low-percentage shot.

75 min: Free kick to Messi, likely too far for a shot. But it’s a dangerous ball, and White heads it out for … get this … the first corner kick of the game.

73 min: De Paul and Messi are longtime national teammates. That combination is not a surprise.

Now Messi is down after a nasty foul from the frustrated Cubas, who gets yellow.

70 min: Miami turnover, and Vancouver break. Miami defenders get back in place and again sag back, not pressing. You’d have to think the younger Whitecaps would be favored in extra time.

68 min: Vancouver subs – Gauld replaces the goal-scorer Ahmed, while Pupe replaces Priso. Pupe made no appearances after signing late in the regular season and has played four minutes in the playoffs. No pressure.

Priso sits down for Vancouver. The Whitecaps had readied some subs but may now wait to see if he can continue.

66 min: Another smart Whitecaps combination ends with Ahmed losing his footing. Miami start to break the other way, but Blackmon alertly … fouls. Yellow.

65 min: Busquets wins the aerial battle to clear Berhalter’s free kick.

64 min: Free kick for Vancouver off a handball, and we have a tangle of bodies after the whistle.

62 min: OFF BOTH POSTS! Sabbi hits the inside of one post, and it bounds across to hit the other. Falcon intervenes on the rebound, and it hits the post again.

Vancouver in championship form here.

59 min: The passing combination was there for Vancouver, but they just can’t complete it.

Vancouver keep getting closer.

58 min: Müller has a shot blocked. Berhalter down in the area somehow. Messi somehow going the other way with the ball. More bodies on the turf. We’re at warp speed here.

Ben Morton writes: “This is my first MLS game, incredible energy from the players and a great atmosphere in the stadium coming through the screen. Utterly compelling. Hoping to see Messi lift the cup. Feels like there could be a Red Card out there for someone though…”

My money’s on Falcon.

56 min: CHANCE for Miami! Alba puts in a dangerous cross that’s punched out but not too far, and Messi has a free header from 15 yards out that goes tantalizingly wide.

Sub: Segovia replaces Rodriguez.

53 min: Another Vancouver free kick as Allen makes a wrestling move on Ocampo. Near the hash mark to denote 10 yards away from a corner kick. Tough angle, nothing comes of it.

But Ahmed collects it and slaloms through the Miami defense most menacingly before surrendering the ball. The Vancouver forward is asking some questions of this experienced Miami defense.

51 min: Vancouver have a kickabout unencumbered by any Miami pressure.

And … oh boy … Ahmed just went down just inside the penalty area. Falcon barks at him when he gets up. Probably neither a foul nor a dive – just incidental contact.

50 min: And someone in the stands can now claim they were nearly hit by a Sebastian Berhalter free kick.

48 min: Ahmed races past Falcon, who responds by knocking him down. Fischer responds by showing yellow, and Sebastian Berhalter might fancy his chances from here.

47 min: You know what I hate as a referee? People whining about who should have possession of the ball after it goes out of play when we’re all screened and can’t see who had it last. It’s a throw-in or a corner, not a Messi free kick from 22 yards out.

Speaking of free kicks from 22 yards out …

Second half is underway. Seems like much of the crowd is in line for concessions or the bathroom.

The MLS site says Vancouver has had 58.23% of the possession. They’ve had 250 passes to Miami’s 149. And they committed 14 fouls to Miami’s 10.

45 min +2: It’s in the net – the top side of it. Flag goes up anyway.

But the good news for Miami is that they’ve weathered the Vancouver storm.

45 min +1: Silvetti hits the turf and tries to remember which body part he’s going to claim was injured in a collision. He gets the call. Seems dodgy.

Free kick to Miami, but probably outside Messi’s shooting range.

45 min: Yellow to Ocampo for throwing his body in front of Rodriguez with the ball traveling the side of the field. Not a half to remember for the Vancouver defender.

42 min: It’s one-way traffic now. Miami can’t get a sniff of the ball.

41 min: LEAPING SAVE by Rios Novo, who nearly falls back across his own line with the ball but alertly leans forward and holds the ball just shy of the target.

38 min: POINT-BLANK SAVE by Rios Novo after a Whitecaps free kick is recycled into the box by Müller. Ahmed had the goal at his mercy but put it right at the Miami keeper’s chest.

36 min: Everybody seems mad at our referee, Drew Fischer. Maybe they should quit banging into each other and/or falling down on the slightest touch.

Free kick Vancouver, but players are just falling like dominoes in the box.

Now another free kick, and a Miami player risks a card by pulling the ball away as Fischer approaches.

Yellow to someone on the Miami bench. It’s not head coach Javier Mascherano.

35 min: You know who has barely made a significant touch on the ball in this game? That’d be Thomas Müller.

34 min: CHANCE for Vancouver as White gets a head on the free kick, but it’s right at Rios Novo.

32 min: Vancouver hold in their own half, giving everyone a breath.

Ahmed somehow slips past Fray, and the Miami defender stays with him a half-stride behind and finally trips him. Fischer waits to see if advantage materializes. It does not. Free kick.

The players left a huge divot on a field that is tearing up in disturbing fashion.

30 min: Turnover for Vancouver, and Messi is running with the ball down the middle of the field. The Whitecaps recover to stop the threat.

Rebranding ideas from Fran Burke:

New York City FC - Big Apple Athletic
Orlando City SC - Toon Wanderers (with apologies to NUFC)
Minnesota United FC - Minneapolis Athletic
FC Cincinnati - Cincinnati Rocks Rovers
Inter Miami - Deportivo Miami
Austin FC - Lone Star Wanderers

I was thinking “Wanderers” for Austin as well. Lone Star is a nice touch.

28 min: Falcon to Silvetti, who finds some guy named Messi at the top of the box. Scary, but his shot takes a deflection that also slows it down significantly, and Vancouver collect.

26 min: Oh … might we have a VAR check? Rodriguez stumbles in his own penalty area, and Sabbi trips, but it looks like the Miami defender didn’t make significant contact. They take a look in the VAR booth, but play continues.

25 min: Messi’s kick goes over the right side of the wall and bends on frame, but it’s an easy catch for Takaoka.

24 min: Messi free kick almost all the way on the far sideline. Cleared, but then Sabbi literally falls onto the ball with his hand, and now Messi has a free kick from a dangerous position.

23 min: Blackmon intercepts a Miami cross.

The Inter attack is so fluid. They’re going to get more goals. Vancouver will really have to find another gear offensively.

I’ve been asked whether there’s a way to watch this match in Ireland. I would happily trade places, but maybe after this game.

Anyone watching in Ireland?

20 min: Messi ahead to Allende, cross to Silvetti, and the young Argentinian forward might want that opportunity back.

19 min: Jordi Alba stays down but doesn’t get a call, and Vancouver break into the Miami third. The end result is a cross from Cubas that’s a bit too high for White, who can only get the top of his forehead to it.

17 min: A rarity in the modern game – a flag going up for offside on a relatively close call. Not waiting for VAR. Miami are displeased.

More shenanigans, as a hard foul draws a hard shove from Vancouver offensive talisman Brian White on Falcon. Yellow to White. How very colorful.

14 min: Having conceded the own goal, Ocampo tries to contribute at the other end, but his pass deflects off a teammate for a goal kick.

13 min: The Vancouver press forces Rios Novo to clear awkwardly, and then the midfield battle does indeed turn into a battle, with bodies flying everywhere in a series of collisions. Referee Fischer sorts it out and shows yellow to Miami’s Rodriguez.

12 min: Vancouver resumes with a bit of direct play that forces Miami into an uncomfortable moment. You never really want to see a headed backpass straight at your own goal, but Rios Novo collects cleanly.

10 min: De Paul is down for Miami after tangling legs with Cubas.

We get a quick peek at “ref cam,” but someone’s hand is in the way.

7 min: Free kick to Vancouver, but it’s played too deep in the penalty area, and Rios Nova collects easily despite having the sun straight in his face.

6 min: Vancouver are trying to string together some passes in the Miami half, but it’s tough going. But they find a bit of space, and Allen cuts out a cross to Müller.

Peter Losty has an excellent team name suggestion: “In a tribute to Mr Dylan, I’d rename the Tennnessee club to ‘Nashvillle Skyliners’.”

3 min: Miami pinned Vancouver deep in their own half for quite a while, and after a short break the other way, they get it back. Allende gets the first shot of the game, putting it over from near the corner of the penalty area.

1 min: The atmosphere is lively as we have a frantic midfield battle, with neither team sustaining possession.

While we’re waiting, let’s talk about MLS team names …

MLS has gone through a couple of different waves in terms of selecting names.

Upon launch, the league went with the trendy non-plural nouns – San Jose Clash, Los Angeles Galaxy, Tampa Bay Mutiny, Dallas Burn, etc. The major exception was DC United.

San Jose eventually reclaimed the name of its old NASL team, the Earthquakes. Three teams from the Pacific Northwest – Portland Timbers, Seattle Sounders and today’s participants from the Vancouver Whitecaps – also bear the names of their old NASL forerunners.

Aside from that? Here’s the last decade and change:

• New York City FC

• Orlando City SC

• Atlanta United FC

• Minnesota United FC

• Los Angeles FC

• FC Cincinnati

• Inter Miami

• Nashville SC

• Austin FC

• Charlotte FC

• St. Louis City SC

• San Diego FC

Borrrrrring.

So if you’re inclined to email me while we wait for this thing to start, tell me how you’d rebrand these teams.

It’s not as if there are no names that fit both a US and a European tradition. No one has claimed “Rovers” in MLS. And I will swiftly declare my loyalty to any MLS club that claims the name “Wanderers.”

The broadcast is underway, and the intro says the Whitecaps are chasing the biggest prize in American soccer. Um … maybe check the map?

Kickoff will be sometime this afternoon Eastern time.

And a big welcome to those of you who just watched the breathtaking Leeds-Liverpool matchup. US midfielder Brendan Aaronson played a big role in that one.

In a big country, dreams stay with you …

Or, in this case, two big countries, with the Vancouver Whitecaps representing Canada. These two clubs are in opposite corners of the continent. Unless MLS expands to Alaska or Hawaii, the distance between Miami and Vancouver is about as big as you can get.

How far?

A little more than 2,800 miles or 4,500 kilometers.

For perspective … Wilfried Nancy has just left the Columbus Crew to take over at Celtic. His new club would fly less than 2,000 miles if they were to go to Istanbul to take on Galatasaray. A comparable flight to Vancouver-Miami would be Glasgow-Baghdad. Or they could go the other direction and fly to Halifax, at the other end of Canada from Vancouver.

Also check out this stunning map comparing MLS distances with European distances.

The international roll call

Messi is certainly the biggest star MLS has had in its 30 seasons. But he’s hardly the first.

Jorge Campos, who went beyond the “keeper/sweeper” role into “keeper/striker,” was a massive attendance driver in the first couple of years of the league, dazzled in his colorful goalkeeping jerseys.

Bolivians Marco Etcheverry and Jaime Moreno were the driving forces in DC United’s early year.

Lothar Matthäus was a bit less successful in his tenure with the league.

Hristo Stoichkov was the 1994 Ballon d’Or winner after lifting Bulgaria to the World Cup semifinals, and no one could doubt the fiery forward’s commitment to winning wherever he played.

The rules changed, literally, with the “Beckham rule,” which allowed teams a giant exception to the league’s cumbersome salary cap rules. The beneficiaries included … well, David Beckham, of course. Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored at an absurd clip during his time with the LA Galaxy. Thierry Henry gave the New York Red Bulls some star power.

Beau will be here shortly. In the meantime here’s Luis Miguel Echegaray’s look back at Inter Miami’s road to the final.