Inter Miami mounts dramatic comeback to eliminate LAFC, advance to Cup semifinals
‘The Comeback’
Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano, left, and team owner Jorge Mas celebrate after the Herons’ 3-1 win Wednesday over Los Angeles FC in the second leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. Photo: David Santiago / DSantiago@MiamiHerald.com
Messi, Ustari lead inspired Herons into Champions Cup semifinals
Inter Miami’s 3-1 come-from-behind victory Wednesday over LAFC is the sort of match fans will lie about attending for years to come.
The Herons advanced to the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal for the first time with an aggregate score of 3-2, but it took heroics from Lionel Messi and goalkeeper Oscar Ustari and a gritty, all-hands-on-deck team effort.
“I said it would be an unforgettable night, and it was,” first-year Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said after the match, according to the Miami Herald. “Our players gave everything they had. This was a very difficult game. Our opponent played very well. We made mistakes. But our players wanted to go to the semifinals. They wanted it badly, you could feel it. I think we wanted it more than they did. I am grateful for the players, who never gave up. Sometimes you also need luck, and we had that. The coin flipped on our side today.
“These are the games that give meaning to our profession.”
“These are the games that give meaning to our profession.”
— Javier Mascherano, IMCF coach
LAFC edged Inter Miami 1-0 April 2 in California and scored early Wednesday, improving its aggregate advantage to 2-0 with an important away goal; suddenly, Inter Miami needed to score at least three goals against LAFC’s stingy defense to move on in the prestigious competition.
Messi scored the equalizer in the 35th minute and the clubs went to intermission tied 1-1. Center back Noah Allen was credited with a goal in the 61st minute when his lob into the box skimmed over teammate Federico Redondo’s attempted header and bounced into the net.
An LAFC defender was called for a handball in front of his own net, leading to Messi’s 84th-minute match- and series-winning penalty kick.
LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo blamed missed opportunities for the loss.
“It’s the same story against (Inter Miami). If you don’t bury your chances, they will hang around and hang around and punish you,” he said. “I think we had very clear chances on the night, and over the two legs, for sure. If there’s anything we can criticize us for, it’s not burying them.”
Only three U.S.-based teams have won the Concacaf Champions Cup since 1960. The competition features the best club teams from Central America, North America and the Caribbean Islands.
Inter Miami, which lost to Mexican powerhouse Monterey in last year’s quarterfinals, will play another Major League Soccer club, the Vancouver Whitecaps, in the semifinals later this month. Cruz Azul and Tigres, of Mexico’s Liga MX, meet in the other semifinal.
The semis will be home-and-home ties with legs played April 22-24 and April 29-May 2. The winners meet in a winner/take-all final on June 1.