Inter Miami beat Sporting Kansas City 1-0 in a match played tonight, at Children’s Mercy Park, for the first leg of the first round of the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup.
The only goal of the match was scored by Argentine star Lionel Messi, in a great individual play.
With the victory, Inter Miami got a good result as a visitor, and will define the pass to the round of 16 at home.
Under an arctic cold, the first arrival of the match came at 8 minutes. Messi managed an attack through the middle and filtered a pass for the Uruguayan forward Luis Suárez, who was one-on-one from the edge of the area and defined by opening his foot, but his shot went wide.
Seven minutes later, Argentine goalkeeper Oscar Ustari easily saved a free kick on the edge of the area, finished by midfielder Memo Rodriguez, who was the first Kansas City goalkeeper of the match.
Thirty minutes into the match, and after combining with midfielder Federico Redondo, Messi tried a shot from outside the area, which went too high. Three minutes later Suarez tried again, this time with a shot from the edge of the area. His shot was looking for the far post and went very close.
Already in the second half, at 10 minutes, Messi chested down a long pass from midfielder Sergio Busquets, hooked it with his right leg and put in a low, crossed shot, which became the only goal of the night.
Seven minutes later, midfielder Daniel Salloi broke free on the right and went one-on-one with Ustari, but his shot, soft and in the middle, was saved by the Argentine goalkeeper.
