Lionel Messi and Inter Miami are in the semi-finals of the Concacaf Champions Cup after a wild victory and 3-1 victory against Los Angeles FC at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Messi himself buried the decisive goal of the penalty place in the 84th minute while Lafc missed a series of chances to put the series on two legs out of doubt or to snatch what would have been a shocking late victory.
With victory, Miami not only made a step further than with Messi in last year’s edition of the continental competition of Concacaf, but did it with a desire to be the attackers in a situation given throughout the match. It is a attitude that was a more manifest part of Miami’s game since Javier Mascherano took over as a chief coach, and it is exactly this type of approach that Concacaf competitions tend to reward.
The second stage in the quarter-final of the games boiled with intensity throughout the match, Aaron de Lafc opening the scoring for a long time after only 10 minutes on a recycled room to put Miami behind 2-0 on aggregate with the advantage on the goals outside.
From there, the Mountain Messi and Co. had to climb was high and full of the types of eccentric and treacherous moments which gave a high level match in the champions cup that is still insufficient. For Messi and Miami, the intensity of the second stage could have exceeded any individual game that they treated during last year’s campaign which ended at this stage in Monterrey – a feeling that was obvious from the jubilatric and emotional celebrations to David Beckham and Jorge and Jose Mas.
The Mascherano team created a large part of the chaos in which they prospered. The first major moment of this came when Miami received a free kilometer of 30 meters thanks to a fault from Ryan Hollingshead which deserved a yellow card in the 30th minute. With the defense of the LAFC still taking place, Messi quickly took the Freekick and left the surprise goal of Celebrate, to the Dam of Lafc. The referee recalled the goal, however, smoking Inter Miami even if he had judged correctly that because a yellow card had been issued, the whistle must be blown before the Freekick was taken.
Soon, Messi had a goal that was out of doubt. The Argentine superstar hung on to a slightly deflected through the ball in a maze of opposition defenders, then chose exactly the right time to launch a shot through the players in front of him and having spent Hugo Lloris in order the same night.
Miami still needed two others. The second of these came in the 61st minute in even more chaotic circumstances, while the officials ignored two possible faults in the accumulation of a ball in a loop in the box of Federico Redondo, with the defender Noah Allen ghost in the loop of the onclush and in the back of the net.
Miami thought he had the winner when Luis Suarez finished a chance at the most distant post, but he was excluded due to an incredibly narrow offense. Miami’s players pleaded their file for this and a number of other injustices perceived throughout, Lafc making the favor when they did not try in vain to keep Miami and the match, under control.
Finally, the decisive moment of the game came only due to an error of a Lafc defender. Marlon was not under pressure by a Miami player and was not trying to play on the ball when long led a wide service in the air. But at the moment embarrassing, he still allowed the ball to hit his arm while Lloris rushed to claim it, and so long tried in vain to deviate.
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With the penalty attributed, the choice of Taker of Miami was obvious, creating a Messi kick against Lloris as in the final of the 2022 World Cup. Again, Messi came out in the lead.
Lafc was likely, the goalkeeper of Miami Oscar Ostari from a few huge stops to preserve the narrow advantage of the Southern Florida team. Perhaps the largest of them came in time to stop, Ustari stopping an effort by Lafc Star Denis Bouanga on a break.
The fence steps included hard plated, difficult faults and hard celebrations on the final whistle of Miami, which will now advance to play Vancouver Whitecaps or Pumas in the semi-finals.
