Inter Miami overcame the early exit of Lionel Messi and a one-man disadvantage to defeat Necaxa on penalty kicks in the Leagues Cup, with Luis Suárez delivering the decisive strike in a 5-4 shootout victory on Saturday night.
The dramatic win at DRV PNK Stadium saw Messi leave the pitch in the opening minutes due to a hamstring issue, leaving fans concerned about the star forward’s health. Jordi Alba scored the crucial equalizer in second-half stoppage time to make it 2-2, forcing the penalty shootout that kept Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup hopes alive.
Messi’s night ended just eight minutes into the match. He fell after a challenge from two Necaxa defenders near the penalty area, clutching his right upper thigh. He slowly walked toward the bench before sitting on the pitch, where trainers evaluated him. He was substituted in the 11th minute. Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said after the game that Messi was not in pain but “felt a pull.”
“There’s probably something there,” Mascherano said through an interpreter, adding that Messi will undergo further evaluation on Sunday to determine the severity of the injury.
Despite the setback, Inter Miami battled through adversity. Defender Maxi Falcón was shown a red card in the opening minutes, leaving the team a man down for much of the match. Necaxa eventually went down to 10 players as well, after Cristian Calderón received a second yellow card in the 60th minute.
Telasco Segovia gave Inter Miami the lead shortly after Messi’s departure, scoring his second goal of the tournament off an assist from newcomer Rodrigo De Paul. The early advantage didn’t last long, as Tomás Badaloni equalized for Necaxa in the 33rd minute with a composed finish into the bottom left corner past goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo.
In the second half, Ricardo Monreal scored in the 81st minute to put the Mexican club ahead 2-1, seemingly sealing the upset. But Jordi Alba rose to the occasion in stoppage time, heading home a perfectly placed free kick from De Paul to tie the match and push it to penalties.
Inter Miami was flawless from the spot, converting all five attempts. Ríos Novo came up big in the third round of the shootout, denying Badaloni to give Miami the edge. Suárez then calmly placed the winning penalty into the top left corner, securing the 5-4 victory.
Saturday’s result gave Inter Miami five points in the tournament, keeping the team in contention to advance in the Leagues Cup. The Herons sit atop the MLS group table for now, but their progression depends on the outcomes of other weekend matches. The Leagues Cup features teams from both MLS and Liga MX, with only the top four clubs from each league’s standings after three matches advancing to the knockout stage.
Messi’s injury remains the major talking point, with Inter Miami hoping its talisman will return quickly as the tournament progresses.
