Inter Miami tied the first leg of the round of 16 of the Concacaf Champions League against Nashville (2-2). The Florida team started losing 2-0, but Messi, in the 51st minute, and Luis Suárez, in the 95th minute, rescued a tie that leaves everything open for the second leg.
The game did not start well at all for the team led by ‘Tata’ Martino. After four minutes, Canadian Jacob Shaffelburg had already opened the scoring for the locals, after taking advantage of a counterattack that caught the Herons’ defenders off guard. However, the goal revitalized Inter Miami, especially Messi, who had two chances to equalize.
Despite the reaction, the Tennessee team once again put a goal in their favor on the scoreboard. Only a minute had passed after the break, but the scorer of the first goal, Shaffelburg, took a shot from outside the area to beat Callender.
The situation was very delicate for Inter Miami, since Nashville, in two isolated plays, had achieved a dangerous advantage. However, in the 51st minute the current Ballon d’Or appeared. The Argentine star, after a volley from Suárez, launched a placed shot from the crescent that ended up inside the goal defended by Willis.
Minutes later, the ’10’, indisputably the best on his team, suffered a tough tackle from MacNaughton. The Nashville defender stuck his studs into the Argentine’s shin, who remained lying on the grass with obvious gestures of pain. Despite the dangerousness of the action, the referee did not signal a foul.
Before Suárez’s decisive goal, the Tennessee team scored 3-1, but the goal was annulled by a millimeter offside by Moore. The one who did not waste his opportunity was the Uruguayan, who in the 95th minute connected with a great header to make it 2-2 and give the Herons air for the second leg.
The tie will be decided at the Chase Stadium in Florida next Wednesday, March 13, where Jordi Alba will already be available, who did not play last night due to a flu process. The winning team will qualify for the quarterfinals of the Concacaf Champions League and will have a closer chance of playing in the 2025 Club World Cup.
Nashville: Willis; Moore, MacNaughton, Zimmerman (Maher, m.82), Lovitz (Washington, m.74); Godoy (Yearwood, m.75), Davis; Muyl, Mukhtar (Bunbury, m.82), Shaffelburg (Gaines, m.82); Boyd.
Inter Miami: Callender; Gressel (Ruiz, m.80), Avilés, Kryvtsov, Freire, Allen; Busquets, Redondo (Sunderland, m.92), Gómez; Suarez, Messi.
Referee: Marco Ortiz (MEX). He showed yellow card to Redondo (m.26), from Inter Miami.
Goles: 1-0, m.4: Shaffelburg; 2-0, m.47: Shaffelburg; 2-1, m.51: Messi; 2-2, m.95: Suárez.
Incidents: Match corresponding to the first leg of the round of 16 of the Champions League played at the GEODIS Park stadium in Nashville before nearly 30,000 spectators.