Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami side suffered a 0-2 defeat against Vancouver Whitecaps in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinal earlier today at BC Place. In front of a record crowd of 53,837, the Whitecaps produced a fantastic display of football to draw first blood in this semifinal tie.
With Messi in the starting XI, Miami fans were expecting a better performance, but the Whitecaps managed to hold them off, securing a clean sheet. Not only Messi, but stars like Spanish midfielder Sergio Busquets, Uruguayan forward Luis Suárez, and Spanish defender Jordi Alba were also in action. However, it was the Whitecaps who took the lead in the 24th minute, thanks to Brian White, who headed a pass from Pedro Vite past Inter Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari.
“We have nothing to lose.” – Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano
Then, in the 85th minute, Sebastian Berhalter doubled the lead, and the game ended 2-0 in favor of the Whitecaps. The second leg of this semifinal is set to take place at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The winner of this semifinal will take on either Cruz Azul or Tigres UANL in the final, scheduled for 1 June.
After the loss, Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano, said: “We have nothing to lose. We have to win the game, we have to score two goals. The pressure is on Vancouver now to keep the result.” He also admitted that his team needs “a near-perfect performance” in the second leg to keep their campaign alive.
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