World Cup and eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi is the one player you can rely on above everyone else to turn around your fortunes when you are behind 2-0 with less than 55 minutes remaining in a two-leg quarterfinal.
Messi’s brace helped his team pull off a stunning three-goal comeback, sending Inter Miami to the CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinals for the first time in the club’s history.
“We ultimately succeeded in reaching our goals. After the game, Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano stated, “The truth is that luck frequently has to be on your side for a comeback like this – and it was.”
Miami’s 3-1 victory over LAFC was secured by Messi’s well-placed penalty shot in the 84th minute, giving the David Beckham-owned team a 3-2 aggregate victory over the two games.
“Despite the challenges, despite giving up a goal (early) in the first five minutes and having the tie stacked against us, I am happy and I want to thank the players for their effort,” Mascherano said. “They believed – they believed they could turn it around, and they showed it.”
The collapse
After losing on the road in the first leg of the tie, Miami was down one goal going into Wednesday’s match. The only difference between the two MLS teams last time out was a goal from Nathan Ordaz in the 57th minute.
For Inter Miami, however, things did not start off well. The ball landed to Aaron Long just outside the six-yard box in the ninth minute of the game, and LAFC won a close onside call. Long’s goal caused the Herons’ deficit to treble, turning their hill into a mountain to climb.
In the 31st minute, while LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris was still putting up his wall, Messi drew a foul and promptly took the free kick, giving Miami the impression that they had won. The Argentinean was forced to retake the free kick following some complaints and uncertainty, even though it appeared that the referee had initially directed to the center circle.
However, it did not take long for Miami to score their first goal. Messi and Luis Suárez, former Barcelona colleagues, soon connected down the middle before the number 10’s shot flew into the top corner.
