Inter Miami CF has secured a place in the semifinals of the 2025 Leagues Cup following a win over Mexican side Tigres UANL 2-1 in an exciting quarterfinal match at Chase Stadium.
The clash had too much stuff — injuries, red-card turn, two penalties, and a nail-biting finish.
Even in the absence of captain Lionel Messi, Miami carried out its pursuit of bagging back-to-back titles.
Messi, who was out due to a muscular injury, watched as his team struggled their way into the last four.
His absence did not impact Miami’s attacking intent, and the breakthrough came early when Tigres defender Javier Aquino handled the ball inside the area. Veteran striker Luis Suárez stepped up and calmly converted from the spot, giving Miami a 1-0 lead.
The celebrations were short-lived, however, as Jordi Alba collided with teammate Telasco Segovia in the first half. Though the defender initially tried to continue, he was forced off at halftime, leaving Miami to shuffle its defensive setup. The club confirmed Alba’s injury would be assessed in the coming days.
Adding to the chaos, head coach Javier Mascherano was shown a red card before the second half began. He was dismissed for protesting the referee’s decision to extend stoppage time beyond the allotted four minutes in the first half. Forced from the sidelines, Mascherano initially moved into the VIP seats near the bench. His assistant, Leandro Stillitano, assumed charge of the team for the remainder of the match.
Assistant coach Javi Morales explained the heated exchange after the game. “It is not clear, what happened at the end of the first half is that the referee added four minutes [of added time] and we ended up playing six or something like that,” Morales said. “So we argued about the time, you are human and you start to talk. It wasn’t clear but the referee said Javier [Mascherano] got a red card and that’s it. We didn’t get much information. We were complaining about the added time.”
According to tournament rules, a manager sent off can remain in the stands but must not communicate with the bench. However, Mascherano was spotted shouting instructions and later speaking on the phone with assistant Lucas Rodriguez Pagano, which could result in a suspension of up to three matches.
Tigres grew into the contest after halftime, eventually leveling in the 67th minute. Ángel Correa, Messi’s Argentina teammate and a summer signing, struck from distance to restore parity and tilt momentum toward the Mexican side.
Just when it seemed the tie was heading toward extra time, fortune smiled on Miami again. Another handball in the Tigres penalty area handed Suárez a second spot kick, which he buried in the 89th minute to restore Miami’s lead.
The game nearly took another twist in stoppage time when Edgar Lopez’s header struck both posts before bouncing away to safety, allowing Miami to hang on for the win.
Reflecting on the contest, Morales praised the team’s resilience. “After all, it was wild, but I think we played a very good first half,” he said. “We played in the game that we wanted. We scored a goal, we made chances. We found a way to keep fighting and win.”
Miami will now face Orlando City in the semifinals, after their Florida rivals defeated Toluca 6-5 on penalties following a goalless draw.
