Lionel Messi played a key role in Inter Miami’s 3-1 victory over Sporting Kansas City, securing their spot in the last 16 of the CONCACAF Champions Cup with a dominant 4-1 aggregate win.
Having already scored the decisive goal in the first leg played under freezing conditions in Kansas City, Messi wasted no time making an impact at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. Just 19 minutes into the match, the Argentine star found the net with a perfectly placed shot, capitalizing on a clever assist from Luis Suarez. His precise finish left the opposing defense with no chance to recover.
Sporting Kansas City briefly thought they had equalized when Dejan Joveljic, a recent signing from LA Galaxy, rounded Miami’s goalkeeper Oscar Ustari and scored. However, the goal was ruled offside, denying them a crucial comeback opportunity.
As the first half neared its end, Miami extended their lead in stoppage time. Messi orchestrated a quick attack, feeding Jordi Alba down the left wing. Alba delivered a sharp low cross into the box, allowing Tadeo Allende to tap the ball home from close range, sending the hosts into halftime with a 2-0 lead.
Miami struck again just two minutes into the second half. A defensive miscue by Jacob Davis created chaos in the Kansas City penalty area, and Suarez took full advantage, hooking the bouncing ball into the corner of the net to make it 3-0 on the night and 4-0 on aggregate.
Kansas City managed to pull one back in the 63rd minute when Memo Rodriguez’s long-range shot took a lucky deflection off Maximiliano Falcon, wrong-footing Ustari and rolling into the net. However, it was little more than a consolation as Miami controlled the remainder of the game.
Next, Inter Miami will face Cavalier, the reigning Caribbean Cup champions, in the next round. The first leg is scheduled for early March in Florida, setting the stage for another exciting clash.
