A rollercoaster of emotions, Video Review checks, on-field scuffles and another legendary performance from the GOAT made for an enthralling contest in Wednesday's Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal decider between Inter Miami CF and LAFC.
By the final whistle, Lionel Messi had done what he has so many times before, scoring two goals and assisting on another to fuel Inter Miami's stunning 3-1 comeback victory (3-2 aggregate) over LAFC in Leg 2 at Chase Stadium.
"We wanted to reach the semis and I think that was apparent," head coach Javier Mascherano said postgame. "With mistakes and good moments, in the end, we wanted it more and we made it happen. I was telling [club owner] Jorge Mas that for a comeback like this one, luck needs to be on your side, and we had it.
"This is why this sport is so beautiful. I want to thank the players for their effort, for dealing with adversity after receiving a goal five minutes into the game and having a difficult task in front of them. They believed they could turn it around and they did.”
Messi delivers
Inter Miami found their CCC campaign on the ropes after Aaron Long's opportunistic strike left them seeking three unanswered goals due to the away-goals tiebreaker.
Chaos ensued, as the Herons turned to their iconic No. 10 to spear the comeback while also absorbing waves of pressure as the visitors smelled the upset.
“I don’t want to lie to myself or to anyone here," Mascherano said. "We knew the game got very difficult, but when I saw they couldn’t put the game away in those first 20 minutes and gave us a lifeline, and I saw Leo score that first goal that didn’t count, I saw we started to feel like we were taking control of the game.
"We were more in their half and I think that first-half goal allowed us at the break to say that we could score a second one."
Miami's captain profited from a rare first-half LAFC mistake to power home his team's opening goal, then assisted Noah Allen's aggregate equalizer before putting the game away with a perfect penalty in the final minutes.
“He’s the soul of this team. There’s no doubt," Mascherano said. "Sometimes I get uncomfortable talking about him because he’s been my teammate for over 20 years and now I have to help him in this role as coach. He’s done it all in the game. He’s the greatest in history and he still sets the example of how to compete, showing the way. He is always going to want to win and he’ll do the impossible to win.
"Besides that, because the game is not just about wanting it, it’s about having the capabilities and he’s got that because he’s the greatest of all time. I’m just thankful to have been able to play with him as long as I did and now in this last stage, I get to see him train and try to help him continue competing and being happy.”
Game of the Year?
The frantic pace and non-stop action may have been entertaining from a neutral perspective, but for Mascherano, it was a little too hectic.
"The level of this game was too high because we faced a team that – they play really, really well, with great players and we had to come back and that never in football is easy when you have to come back and then hold the game. That was difficult for us," Mascherano said. "We have a lot of things to improve, but this is the way. This is the way to play football; try to give everything 100 percent."
That mentality propelled the Herons back from the two-goal hole. Despite the inauspicious start to the match, the nervous nature eventually shifted from the home side to the visitors, setting the stage for the second-half theatrics.
"I think that the first 25 minutes they were much better than us. Maybe they deserved to score another goal," Mascherano admitted. "They didn't. They gave us one more life and then we did our job.
"In football, sometimes you have to suffer the moment, try to give the high mentality because we knew that if we scored one goal, maybe they were going to be nervous because they know that also we have good players, good team and players that they know how to compete. So I think it was, at the end, a great night for us, so just to congratulate my team to the players. I'm very happy for them."
The Herons' head coach also did not forget to remind everyone that he saw the comeback coming.
“I mentioned yesterday in the press conference that I thought this would be an unforgettable night because I know the guys and I know how they feel about the game, how much they want to compete and how much they want to win," Mascherano said. "The legends have won it all. The young ones have won less, but they’re hungry to win things and take the club to another level. I’m thankful to them for this unforgettable night. Those of us who are outside enjoyed what they did inside the field.”
Up next: Vancouver
With the win, Inter Miami booked a trip to their first CCC semifinal against Vancouver Whitecaps FC, who eliminated LIGA MX side Pumas UNAM with a dramatic late goal in the second leg of their quarterfinal series.
The winner's reward? A one-off final on June 1 against Cruz Azul or Tigres UANL, ensuring another epic MLS vs. LIGA MX matchup.
"We want to win this tournament," Allen said on the postgame broadcast. "It's been a goal since the beginning of the year, since the first day of preseason. It's our biggest goal right now and I feel like this was the perfect performance to go into the semifinal. Obviously we went down in the first 15 minutes and it was frustrating, but we kept our heads, we didn’t let it get to each other.
"They’re a great team, they have a great coach, they have great players, so we knew it was going to be difficult and they made it difficult. But we just showed our quality, we just showed our togetherness and when we have this type of togetherness, we can win the whole tournament."
