Lionel Messi and Inter Miami suffered their first defeat of the season as Los Angeles FC earned a hard-fought CONCACAF Champions Cup quarter-final first leg win courtesy of a 1-0 scoreline on Wednesday.
LAFC took a big step forward in a crucial lead into next week’s Florida return leg when 21-year-old Nathan Ordaz struck in the 57th minute to determine the match. After a first half that ended with the teams locked in a tense stalemate, the home side lifted its intensity and the pressure told when Ordaz twisted away from Sergio Busquets and hit a low shot that slipped past Oscar Ustari.
Messi, on his first start of the season after recovering from injury, had little chance to influence the match as Miami was unable to penetrate a stout LAFC backline. The hosts came close to double their lead again, with Aaron Long heading just over and Timothy Tillman denied by a goal line clearance from Maxi Falcon.
A frustrated Miami outfit watched Busquets cautioned for a wild lunge, while Messi’s last-minute free kick flew over the bar, securing a deserved victory for LAFC. With a raucous crowd of 22,207 supporting them — including the likes of NBA star Stephen Curry and David Beckham — LAFC have the advantage heading into the second leg.
