The legend Lionel Messi failed to lead his Inter Miami team to the semi-finals in the CONCACAF Champions League, as the American club was eliminated from the quarter-finals by the Mexican team Monterrey, which won 3-1 in the second leg of the round yesterday, Wednesday.
Monterrey had previously won the first leg against Inter Miami 2-1, ending the match with a score of 5-2 on aggregate, despite Messi’s participation from the beginning of the match, on the Mexican team’s soil, after… He was gone for about a month Due to injury, he participated as a substitute on Saturday in the local league against Colorado Rapids (2-2), where he scored a goal.
Conduct of the match
But the presence of the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner was not enough for the American team, which was behind in all aspects against Monterrey. The Qatar 2022 World Cup champion had the most dangerous chance for his team in the first half, when the situation was scoreless, but his shot went just over the crossbar (24).
Monterrey’s response was fruitful, as they opened the scoring in the 31st minute through American Brandon Vazquez, after he benefited from a fatal error by goalkeeper Drake Callender, who failed to appreciate a pass from his Spanish colleague Sergio Busquets.
Inter Miami thought they had equalized in the final seconds of the first half, but the referee disallowed the goal Uruguayan Luis Suarez Because of sneaking.
The task of Messi and his companions was complicated in the second half, when Monterrey added the second goal in the 58th minute with a wonderful shot from the outskirts of the penalty area by Argentine Germán Berterami, who 6 minutes later turned into a passer in the third goal, which Jesus Gallardo scored with a header.
The situation became more difficult for the team of Argentine coach Gerardo Martino when he was forced to complete the match with ten players as a result of Spanish defender Jordi Alba being sent off in the 78th minute for receiving a second warning.
The American team scored a late honorable goal with a header by Paraguayan Diego Gomez following a free kick executed by Messi.
“finished Strick”
Martino admitted after the match that the second goal his team received was a fatal blow, adding: “We said that even if they scored the first goal, it would not change anything because we needed to score twice. But their second goal ended the confrontation for us.”
The CONCACAF Champions League (North America, Central America and the Caribbean) is parallel to the Champions League in Europe, and the winner of the current edition will qualify to participate in the Club World Cup in its new expanded form.
Mexican clubs have dominated this competition since its inception in 1962, winning the title on 38 occasions.