Messi's figure alone isn't enough: Inter Miami's tough defeat and elimination from the Concacaf Champions League
A tough defeat, a sad elimination. Inter Miami had a small glimmer of hope with Jordi Alba's goal, but their dream of reaching the CONCACAF Champions League final was extinguished by a flurry of goals from the Vancouver Whitecaps at the start of the second half. They went from hoping to turn the series around, at 0-2, to falling 1-3 and suffering a 1-5 aggregate score . A stumble that reflected the superiority of the Canadian franchise , which played a physical, intense, direct-attacking style of football. With these arguments, they fully exploited the weaknesses of the Garzas , who were unbalanced in their transitions from defense to attack. A match that showed Lionel Messi uncomfortable, with flashes of his talent, although insufficient for the goal of playing the decisive match of the most important CONCACAF club competition. A tournament that has eluded him: last year, Monterrey eliminated Inter Miami in the quarterfinals.
The urgency of overturning the two-goal deficit from the first leg in Vancouver prompted Inter Miami to unwind a tense performance . Taking control of the game and controlling the pace was the objective set by the team led by Javier Mascherano, who outlined his plan before the match: " We can't choose the outcome, but we can choose how we approach the match ," he noted.
Linking passes is the method that works best for the Garzas to generate danger, and they didn't stray from the script that allowed them to reach the CONCACAF Champions League semifinals. The first sequence had the old Barcelona stamp: Messi-Suárez-Alba connected, and the full-back attempted a shot that met with a poor response from Japanese goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka .
Barely nine minutes in, Inter Miami had reduced the deficit on the aggregate score. The goal encouraged, strengthened the game, and confused an opponent who had been controlling the game and suddenly lost the goal difference that had allowed them to move with composure and poise .
The Florida franchise tried to capitalize on that Whitecaps' stupor, spurred on by the fans who filled the stadium: Messi set up Tadeo Allende , and the former Godoy Cruz striker missed in front of the Japanese goalkeeper, who, far from being dismayed by his error in scoring, showed his mental strength to sustain the team.
Inter Miami's ball circulation was dominated by the team, which, ambitious in attack, was dangerously exposed in defense. They didn't regroup quickly to win the ball back, providing fertile ground for the Canadians' speed, flaws that are repeated in the lineups Mascherano prepares .
A slip by Chilean Maximiliano Falcón allowed Brian White to put his strike partner Emmanuel Sabbi face-first against Oscar Ustari : the striker's shot crashed off the post. A warning that Inter Miami failed to respond to. The excitement they had been nurturing in attack turned into alarm due to the weak retreat.
An off-the-ball move by Luis Suárez left Messi facing the goal, but Leo was surprised by his teammate's action and his finish was inaccurate. Venezuelan Telasco Segovia , with a header, made Takaoka work, but after the missed goal, he looked confident. The Canadians, who play on a synthetic turf pitch at home, adapted to the overwatered field.
Messi's prominence came in small doses, as if the Whitecaps' physical pace bothered him : he couldn't connect with his teammates, who played on different wavelengths. Lucho Suárez appeared far away in the spotlight, and those who should have been interlocutors—from Jordi Alba to Segovia, including Federico Redondo and Sergio Busquets —failed to engage in a footballing conversation. The Rosario star surprised everyone with a free kick, but Takaoka deflected it for a corner.
The caution for Falcón, who often plays one-on-one with the most advanced opposing striker, in this case White, made clear the difficulties the Chilean had against the striker. The Whitecaps found space and played quickly, directly, without too many associations .
Accepting the two-legged offer was a toss-up for Inter Miami, who slowly lost control and became entangled in protests and shoving: Alba got into a fight with Colombian Édier Ocampo and Tate Johnson brought down Allende, earning a yellow card.
The Whitecaps' quick transitions troubled Inter Miami. At that point, Ustari was playing as a sweeper, sweeping behind defenders. The goalkeeper thwarted White's threat and later blocked a dangerous cross. At the start of the second half, he again responded effectively to a shot from Ali Ahmed. It was the last intervention before the collapse took hold of the Garzas . The weekend's debacle against Dallas in Major League Soccer—they lost 4-3 after leading 3-1—was repeated at Chase Stadium.
In a two-minute burst, the Canadians turned the score around and put the series away . White's celebrations, following a collective movement, and Pedro Vite's shot took a deflection that left Ustari with no chance, and Sebastián Berthalter 's stab - after a failed Inter Miami clearance - added to the Whitecaps' victory and to the dismay of the Garzas .
The outcome found Inter Miami disjointed and frustrated. The changes—the two central defenders, Falcón and Noha Allen , were removed; later Redondo—forced Busquets to retreat to the defense, but at the risk of suffering a massive defeat, Mascherano opted to reshuffle the back line with Argentines Gonzalo Luján and Héctor David Martínez . In attack, the introductions of Yannick Bright , Allen Obando , and Benjamín Cremaschi also proved fruitless. The cards were already on the table: Inter Miami failed to solve the equation when it looked favorable, and their dream of winning the Concacaf Champions League ended.
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