With two goals from Messi, Inter advanced to the semifinals of the Concacaf Champions League
Inter Miami defeated Los Angeles FC 3-1 and 3-2 on aggregate in tonight’s match at Chase Stadium in the second leg of the Concacaf Champions League quarterfinals, a tournament they reached the semifinals thanks to another masterful night from Lionel Messi.
Los Angeles had taken the lead with a goal from defender Aaron Long, but Javier Mascherano’s team turned the score around with a double from Messi and a goal from defender Noah Allen.
With the victory, the Miami team will wait for the winner of the match between the Pumas of Mexico and the Vancouver Whitecaps of Canada to find out their opponent in the Concacaf Champions League semifinals.
The first chance of the match came from Los Angeles. In the sixth minute, forward Cengiz Under sought the Olympic goal from a corner, which curled in at the far post, but goalkeeper Oscar Ustari managed to deflect the ball, creating another corner kick.
Three minutes later, the visitors opened the scoring. A late break from the Inter Miami defense led to a chipped cross to the far post, which was brought down by forward Nathan Ordaz and finished off with a first-time effort by defender Aaron Long to make it 1-0.
The East Coast team had their first chance in the 12th minute, with a free kick from Messi that fell in the form of a cross to the far post, where defender Maximiliano Falcón headed it, but his shot went high.
In the 21st minute, Los Angeles had two consecutive clear chances. Forward Denis Bouanga controlled the ball down the left flank and took advantage of defender Falcón’s fall to cross the ball back for Timothy Tillman’s shot, which was blocked by goalkeeper Oscar Ustari at his left post. After a mistake in his departure from the backline, Bouanga broke away again down the left and looked for a cross that went wide.
Five minutes later, Messi had his first chance, following a one-two with defender Jordi Alba and a first-time shot that came out very centrally and was blocked by goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, a victim of “La Pulga” in the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar.
With 31 minutes gone, the world champion scored the equalizer, rushing to finish a free kick, although the goal was disallowed because the number 10 didn’t wait for the referee’s whistle.
Just four minutes later, Messi had a chance to score the equalizer. The Argentine played a one-two with striker Luis Suárez and received the return on the edge of the box, from where he unleashed a left-footed shot that found the top corner and leveled the score.
In the 16th minute of the second half, the home side leveled the score. A chipped cross from the left flank by defender Noah Allen set up midfielder Federico Redondo, who failed to touch the ball as Lloris closed down. The ball continued its course and gently slipped in at the far post.
Controversy erupted in Miami again in the 23rd minute. A cross from Messi was headed in by Suárez, but it was ruled out for an unclear offside.
Five minutes later, a cross hit defender Marlon’s outstretched hand inside the box, resulting in a penalty for Inter Miami. The same was executed by Messi, who beat Lloris, just like in the World Cup final, and made it 3-1 with a shot from mid-height to the left of the French goalkeeper.
Towards the end of the match, Ustari played the hero and saved the home side’s goal twice, against a header and a subsequent one-on-one from Bouanga, to seal the 3-1 scoreline and Messi’s team’s qualification to the semifinals.
