USA - Lionel Messi scored his first penalty in a year, helping Inter Miami beat Los Angeles FC 3-2 in the two-legged Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals.
Scorers: Messi 35', penalty 84', Allen 61' - Long 9'
After losing 0-1 in the first leg and conceding early in the second leg, Inter Miami looked set to be eliminated from the North and Central American Cup-like tournament. However, Messi shone with a brace, sandwiched by a goal from Noah Allen, helping Miami reach the semi-finals with a 3-2 aggregate victory.
In the 31st minute, with Inter Miami trailing 2-0 by two legs, Messi took a quick free kick that put the ball into the net, as goalkeeper Hugo Lloris was busy adjusting the wall. Referee Cesar Arturo Ramos initially allowed the goal, then overturned the decision because he had not allowed play to continue.
But Messi did not have to wait long, scoring a masterpiece just a few minutes later. From a pass from Luis Suarez, the Argentine superstar received the ball on the left side of the penalty area, then shot diagonally from about 15 meters away, defeating goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. This goal opened the way for the home team to come back.
After Allen equalized 2-2 in the 61st minute, both teams had many chances to score the decisive goal, but Miami took advantage of the opportunity better. In the 82nd minute, VAR discovered that the away team's striker Marlon Santos had blocked the ball with his hand in the Los Angeles penalty area and called referee Ramos to review the situation. After that, the Mexican referee decided to award a penalty to Miami.
Unlike the recent times when he gave the penalty to his teammates, Messi personally took the shot because this situation could decide Miami's place in the next round. He ran slowly, saw the goalkeeper did not move, then shot to the right corner to seal a 3-1 victory in the second leg, 3-2 on aggregate.
This is the first time Messi has scored from a penalty in any competition since April 20, 2024, when he scored against Nashville. The 37-year-old superstar also scored his 857th career goal in 1,092 matches. More importantly, Miami reached the semi-finals of the North and Central American Cup for the first time.
Miami won, but they still could not satisfy the referees. In the 67th minute, Messi crossed the ball for Luis Suarez to head in from close range. After drawing the line, VAR thought Suarez was offside, so he told referee Ramos to cancel the Uruguayan striker's goal.
However, it appears that VAR chose the wrong player to mark the offside line. Defender No. 14 Sergi Palencia appeared to be the deepest defender in the Los Angeles defense, but VAR chose center back No. 33 Aaron Long to mark the red line. Had they chosen Palencia, Suarez would likely not have been offside.
Miami’s semi-final opponents will be the winner of Pumas UNAM vs Vancouver.