March 7: In the first leg of a CONCACAF Champions Cup round of 16 series, Inter Miami defeated Cavalier SC 2-0 on Thursday in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, thanks to goals from Tadeo Allende and Luis Suarez in the second half.
Lionel Messi, who missed Miami’s game against Houston on Sunday, was not present for the home team.
Javier Mascherano, the coach of Inter Miami, stated of Messi that “the doctors told me that he does not have any injuries or scars,” but he is worn out from playing three games in six days. Not having the world’s best player is obviously complicated, but we also need to take a step forward and know how to play without him. “The weather changes, there have been a lot of situations. And since we want to take care of him and we do not want to make him feel fatigued, we decided to give him rest, knowing the risks we are facing.”
On March 13, Kingston, Jamaica, will host the second and last leg of the total-goal series. On Sunday, Inter Miami will host Charlotte FC in an MLS match.
Up until the 61st minute of Thursday’s match, there was no score. Allende’s looping header was saved despite a right-side corner kick from Inter Miami. After a flurry in front, the ball stayed in play close to the left goalpost and found Allende at the penalty spot. Allende then scored a left-footed goal through traffic to eliminate any question.
In the 83rd minute, Suarez scored with his left foot from 16 yards out to complete the victory.
