Lionel Messi’s mansion of a trophy room has commemorations from the Champions League, Copa del Rey, La Liga and Ligue 1, among others. Maybe there was some slight rearranging done to make space for a Concacaf Champions Cup title. It was looking possible … until Inter Miami’s first semifinal look at Vancouver.
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Suddenly, this captivating group of Messi, Luis Suárez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets faces elimination, down 2-0 as they host the Whitecaps Wednesday night. The MLS winner here hits the finals to face one of two Mexican clubs: Cruz Azul or Tigres.
How to watch Inter Miami vs. Vancouver Whitecaps
Javier Mascherano said the first match was the most important one in Inter Miami history. It didn’t go as planned. Brian White found the back of the net in the 24th minute, sending up the packed-in crowd at BC Place, and Sebastian Berhalter added insurance in the 85th. The club itself is up for sale, but these Whitecaps are thriving on the pitch. Vancouver sits atop the MLS’s Western Conference table, and set the tone against the Herons last time out with brute physicality and an underdog’s fearlessness.
It’s a cool story, as improbable as, say, Lionel Messi playing in Major League Soccer.
Miami struggled to get right on Vancouver’s turf. The big-name lineup will need to be ultra-aggressive at home. Messi certainly can rack up goals, and his side actually had 69 percent possession last Thursday. But the shutout puts them in an awkward spot come Wednesday. It was their just their second scoreless match of the tournament. They responded to the last one, a 1-0 defeat from LAFC, by scoring three consecutive times, with Messi’s magnificence yielding two goals. Let’s see if they can about-face once again, or if this Whitecaps season of destiny earns another stretch.
Ticketing and streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
(Photo of Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez: Jeff Vinnick / Getty Images)
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