Inter Miami defeated 10-man Orlando City 3-1 in the final 15 minutes of the match, and Lionel Messi’s two goals and assist set up an MLS League Cup match against Seattle Sounders.
After missing two straight matches with a right thigh injury, Messi scored a penalty in the 77th minute to make Inter 1-1, and he combined with Jordi Alba in the 88th minute to make it 1-1 in the second semifinal on Wednesday.
Miami made it back to the semi-finals of the Leagues Cup, a cross-border competition featuring teams from Major League Soccer and Liga MX, thanks to Telasco Segovia’s injury.
Messi’s first season in the MLS, 2023, won it.
As Javier Mascherano watched from the stands as he was serving a red card suspension, “We are at a loss for words when it comes to talking about Leo Messi,” said Javier Morales, the Inter assistant coach.
He played 90 minutes, and the way he played created situations where he scored goals. He only trained for two or three days.
Messi admitted to feeling some reluctance after only playing once since August 2 when he was injured.
He said, “I knew how crucial it was to play against a very tough opponent who had defeated us in both of our previous games this year,” adding, “I prepared.” “In the first half, I was a little afraid, but I gradually loosened up.”
After the Sounders defeated the Los Angeles Galaxy 2-0 in California to claim the title, Miami will travel to Seattle for the Sunday final.
Pedro de la Vega and Osaze Rosario both scored in the seventh minute and Osaze Rosario added another goal for the Sounders, who held on with 10 men after Nouhou Tolo was shown a yellow card for a sliding tackle on Gabriel Pec.
The winner of the third-place playoff between Orlando and Los Angeles will also receive a regional tournament ticket, with both of the finalists guaranteed to advance to the 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup.
In the @LeaguesCup final, @SoundersFC will play @InterMiamiCF. pic. twitter.com/E5gc0c0qVh
Source: Aljazeera
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