Inter Miami was shut out for the first time all season as a feisty Chicago Fire limited their attack to only three shots on target. Chicago had numerous chances to secure the victory
Inter Miami defeated LAFC 3-1, leading to a 3-2 victory on aggregate to reach the CONCACAF Champions Cup Semifinals for the first time in club history. After conceding an early goal, Inter rallied behind captain and superstar Lionel Messi in a hotly contested match that saw several hard fouls,
Inter Miami failed to win for the second game in a row, having lost in the first leg of the Champions Cup to LAFC midweek. Lady Luck was not kind to Inter, who had two goals ruled out in the first half.
Messi played his first full match after his injury, but Inter was held scoreless as former Premier League goalkeeper Hugo Lloris shined for hosts LAFC.
Messi returned from injury to secure the win in the second half, as Inter Miami climbed into first place, displacing Eastern contender Philadelphia Union. Inter boast the best record in MLS after five (5) games, despite playing one less match than Western Conference leader Vancouver Whitecaps.
Goals from returning captain Lionel Messi and journeyman Fafa Picault would lift Inter over hosts Atlanta in an end-to-end affair which ended with twenty-six total shots. Miami climbed the table into first place in the MLS Eastern Conference with ten points (three wins, one draw) from their first four matches.
Miami scored twice to advance in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, with veterans Suarez and Messi providing the goals. Inter were dominant throughout, and even the home fans applauded Messi’s participation as he returned from missing three straight games due to fatigue. They face LAFC in the next round.
Miami defeated Charlotte FC 1-0 in their MLS home matchup in an unlikely victory. Goalkeeper Ustari was sent off in the first half, but Charlotte failed to capitalize with zero shots hitting the target. Messi was once again claimed “healthy” by coach Javier Mascherano despite being an unused substitute
By Nick Lee, Bleacher Brothers Staff Soccer Writer Miami’s forward line continues to produce in Messi’s absence, with more goals from Luis Suarez and Tadeo Allende. Coach Mascherano insists Messi is not injured and is solely dealing with lingering fatigue. Despite a second game in a row without their captain, Inter Miami pressed on to