After winning their quarterfinal match 5-2 overall, Mexican team Monterrey sent Lionel Messi and Inter Miami packing from the CONCACAF Champions Cup on Wednesday.
The Liga-MX team earned a 3-1 victory on the evening thanks to goals from Brandon Vazquez, German Berterame, and Jesus Gallardo. As a result, they move on to a semi-final matchup with Major League Soccer champions Columbus.
After losing the first leg in Florida last week 2-1, Messi was brought back to Inter Miami’s starting lineup for the first time since his nearly month-long injured hiatus.
However, Inter’s lackluster performance against a Monterrey team that appeared far more proficient across the board was not helped by the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner’s presence.
Early on, Monterrey’s US international striker Vazquez’s bullet header caused Inter goalkeeper Drake Callender to make a good save.
At the twenty-five-minute mark, Messi had Miami’s greatest chance of the first half, but he blasted over the crossbar from right inside the box.
At the thirty-first minute mark, Vazquez punished Callender for a howler, giving Monterrey the lead.
After making a mistake with a pass intended for Sergio Busquets, the goalie spotted Vazquez a few yards from the Miami goal.
With a cool head, the American tucked away the finish and sent Callender the wrong way.
After that, Inter Miami produced little of note; in first-half stoppage time, Luis Suarez, Messi’s old Barcelona teammate, rightfully had a goal disallowed for offside.
After 58 minutes, a brilliant goal from their own Argentine scorer Berterame left Miami with a mountain to climb for Monterrey.
Following deft approach play, Berterame ducked under his marker on the boundary of the space and struck thunderously into the upper corner.
After six minutes, Berterame changed roles and chipped in a cross for Gallardo, who was unmarked and beat Callender with a superbly timed header.
After receiving his second yellow card for a stamp on Gallardo, former Barcelona defender Jordi Alba was sent off on the 78th minute, capping a disastrous evening for Miami.
On minute 85, Messi’s inviting free kick was met with a late consolation goal for Miami by Diego Gomez with his head.
Monterrey’s second goal, according to Miami coach Gerardo Martino, ended the stalemate.
“We said that even if we conceded the first goal it didn’t change anything because we always needed to score twice,” Martino stated. “But their second goal ended the tie for us.”
The top regional club competition in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean is called the CONCACAF Champions Cup. The winner of this year’s competition will get a spot in the enlarged FIFA Club World Cup the following year.
Since Guadalajara won the inaugural Champions Cup in 1962 and won the trophy 38 times, Mexican clubs have dominated the competition.
Martino forewarned that due to stringent wage and expenditure limitations for teams participating in Major League Soccer, MLS clubs would persist in their struggles versus Mexican rivals.
“Until the MLS relaxes the rules to allow teams to have bigger squads and don’t make it so hard to replace players because of injuries and suspensions, Liga-MX teams will continue to have an advantage,” Martino stated.
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