LAFC Edges Out Inter Miami CF in Tense CONCACAF Champions Cup Clash

In a nail-biting encounter on Wednesday night, Los Angeles FC managed to secure a 1-0 victory over Inter Miami CF in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinal matchup. Nathan Ordaz found the back of the net in the 57th minute, marking a significant moment for LAFC as they kept Lionel Messi off the scoresheet.

Messi, who has been a standout performer since joining Miami two years ago, had previously contributed either a goal or an assist in each of his first six Champions Cup appearances. This included an impressive tally of three goals in the early rounds of this year's tournament. However, despite his efforts, he was unable to break through LAFC's defense.

Returning from an injury just last weekend, Messi played the full match in Los Angeles. He managed to get two of his five shots on target, but both were expertly saved by LAFC's goalkeeper, Hugo Lloris. "I think (Messi) always had a black jersey in front of him, and that's the point," commented LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo. "You can't always defend him, nor can you always shut down Jordi Alba, (Sergio) Busquets, (Luis) Suárez. Those guys are going to get a chance or two, and the only way to defend players of that quality and teams of that quality is with a collective effort."

This loss marked the first defeat of 2025 for Miami, who had been on a seven-match winning streak across all competitions, boasting an impressive record of 8-0-1 under new coach Javier Mascherano. "It was a game that we expected," Mascherano reflected after his first defeat with the team. "We know LA. They have good players, and they have players in front that can make the difference. But I think we controlled them almost all the game in a good way. Obviously, we didn't have the best night tonight, but in the end, it's the first leg. We have the next game next week, and we will see. I believe that we can do the right things to get through."

The two clubs are set to meet again in Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday, April 9, for the second leg of the quarterfinal. The aggregate winner will advance to the semifinals, where they will face either MLS' Vancouver Whitecaps or Liga MX's Pumas, who played to a 1-1 draw in their first leg.

LAFC, who finished as the runner-up in this tournament in both 2020 and 2023, ended a rough patch of 0-4-1 over the previous three and a half weeks with a strong performance against the powerhouse Miami, who currently leads the MLS standings at 4-0-1. "I think we saw a complete performance, a good one from the guys," Cherundolo stated. "They invested a lot. We need to be a little sharper, a little more focused in the final third with our chances against good teams, and Miami is certainly a good team, maybe the best team."

Messi, now 37 years old, has been dealing with an adductor injury that kept him from participating with the Argentine national team last month. However, he made a comeback to MLS play last Saturday, scoring as a substitute in Miami's win over Philadelphia, and was back in the starting lineup in Los Angeles.

During the match, Messi took two free kicks in dangerous areas during the first half, but unfortunately, he sent his first attempt over the bar and the second directly into Lloris' hands. He had a promising opportunity in the 80th minute, but his quick turnaround shot from just outside the penalty area sailed too high. Another low shot in the 86th minute was also saved by Lloris, who managed to smother it after a slight bobble.

In the dying moments of the match, Messi earned one last free kick after being fouled during a dribble in second-half injury time, but he again sent it high over the goal. "Sometimes (we) couldn't find the spaces," Mascherano noted. "They did very well in defense also, so sometimes you have to accept. Maybe we had some chances in the second half. At the end, I think we were not clear in attack, but the players tried until the end in many ways."

Ordaz's goal came when he skillfully evaded Busquets and unleashed a powerful shot into the bottom corner of the Herons' net from well outside the penalty area. The young homegrown talent, who hails from Los Angeles, also scored against Columbus in a Champions Cup match last month.