Inter Miami has once again failed in its quest for an international title. The ice-cold Vancouver Whitecaps extended Lionel Messi’s personal drought – with a bitter twist.
He had been rested over the weekend, but even a well-rested Lionel Messi was unable to turn the tide. Inter Miami lost the second leg of their CONCACAF Champions Cup semi-final against Vancouver Whitecaps 2-0 on Thursday night (CEST), the equivalent of the Champions League for clubs from North and Central America and the Caribbean. Despite taking an early lead, Messi & Co. suffered a 3-1 defeat at home and must continue to wait for their first international title.
A former Barça combination involving Messi, Luis Suárez, and goalscorer Jordi Alba had initially raised hopes (9th minute), but a double strike from the visitors shortly after the break dashed them. Brian White (51st minute) and Pedro Vite (53rd minute) scored for Vancouver, both from assists by Sebastian Berhalter, who later made it 3-1 himself (71st minute).
The 23-year-old midfielder, who had already scored in the first leg, was the clear match winner – but he may still sleep badly: shortly before half-time, he received his third yellow card of the competition and will miss the final. On June 1, the Canadians, with former Union pro Damir Kreilach on the bench, will face the winner of the Mexican duel between Cruz Azul and Tigres UANL (first leg: 1-1, second leg on Friday at 4 a.m. CEST) for the title and a ticket to the 2029 Club World Cup.
Messi goalless in four games
Inter, who were knocked out in the quarter-finals last year, must now focus all their attention on the MLS and this year’s Club World Cup. “It feels very, very bad today,” admitted coach Javier Mascherano. “We have to improve and look ahead.” The first task is to end two current slumps: Inter have lost three competitive games in a row for the first time since Messi arrived, and the 37-year-old himself has not scored in four appearances.
In the MLS, Miami have slipped to fifth place in the Eastern Conference, while the Whitecaps are top in the West with a five-point lead.