Inter Miami had a difficult away trip to Los Angeles at noon on January 3 (Vietnam time) in the first leg of the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup quarter-finals.
Despite the presence of superstar Lionel Messi, coach Gerardo Martino's team still suffered a minimal defeat of 0-1.
The match took place at a fast pace from the first minutes, but there were not many clear opportunities.
A controversial incident occurred in the 22nd minute, when Los Angeles striker Ordaz countered Inter Miami's center back Allen.
Despite VAR's intervention, Ordaz only received a yellow card, which made the away players angry.
In the 37th minute, Messi had a chance from a free kick but could not beat Los Angeles goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. The first half ended without any goals scored.
In the second half, Los Angeles proactively pushed up their formation and created some dangerous opportunities.
In the 57th minute, the turning point of the match came when Ordaz had a long shot from outside the penalty area. Despite his weak shooting power, Inter Miami goalkeeper Ustari made a mistake in position, creating conditions for the home team to open the score.
Inter Miami had some dangerous situations but could not convert them into goals.
With a 1-0 victory, Los Angeles has a big advantage before the return match in Miami. Inter Miami will have to make a lot of effort if they want to turn the situation around and win a ticket to the semi-finals.
