LAFC Hands Messi and Miami Their First Defeat of the Season in the CONCACAF Champions Cup

On Wednesday, Los Angeles FC handed Lionel Messi and Inter Miami their first defeat of the season, sealing a surprising 1-0 win in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions Cup quarter-final.

A crucial goal from Nathan Ordaz, a Los Angeles native and international for El Salvador, in the 57th minute provided LAFC with a vital advantage ahead of next Wednesday’s return match in Florida.

Entering the match unbeaten in nine games across all competitions, Messi and Miami were perceived as the in-form team in Major League Soccer.

However, following a cautious first half that saw both teams struggle for dominance, Los Angeles intensified their efforts after the interval, beginning to put the visitors under pressure.

LAFC defender Ryan Hollingshead missed a golden opportunity in the 54th minute, firing his shot well off target after making a dangerous run into the penalty area.

Just three minutes later, the breakthrough came when the 21-year-old homegrown striker Ordaz skillfully evaded former Barcelona and Spain star Sergio Busquets, firing a low shot into the bottom corner past Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari.

Messi, who made his first start since returning from injury as a substitute last weekend, found it challenging to influence the match.

Instead, it was Los Angeles who appeared more likely to add to their tally in front of an exuberant crowd of 22,207 at BMO Stadium, which included NBA superstar Stephen Curry, Miami owner David Beckham, and Argentina’s national team manager Lionel Scaloni.

US international Aaron Long headed just over the bar from a free-kick in the 63rd minute, while moments later, Miami defender Maxi Falcon made a desperate goal-line clearance to deny LAFC midfielder Timothy Tillman.

Falcon also had one of Miami’s rare opportunities in the second half, directing a glancing header towards the bottom corner that was comfortably collected by LAFC’s former French international goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.

In a display of Miami’s escalating frustration, Busquets received a yellow card for a reckless challenge on Cengiz Under.

The evening highlighted Messi’s disappointing performance, culminating in a missed free-kick opportunity during stoppage time, where he sent his shot sailing well over the crossbar as LAFC held firm to secure a well-deserved victory.