Inter Miami CF secured a thrilling 2-1 victory over Tigres UANL on Wednesday night at Chase Stadium, moving into the semifinals of the 2025 Leagues Cup. The win came despite the absence of star player Lionel Messi, who missed the match due to a muscular injury.
Miami opened the scoring early in the match after Tigres defender Javier Aquino handled the ball inside the penalty area. Luis Suárez converted the penalty, sending goalkeeper Nahuel Guzmán the wrong way and giving Miami a 1-0 lead.
The Herons faced another challenge in the first half when Jordi Alba collided with teammate Telasco Segovia and suffered an injury. Alba attempted to continue but was forced to leave the field at halftime and did not return for the second half. Team officials confirmed that his condition will be assessed in the coming days.
Before the second half began, head coach Javier Mascherano received a red card for protesting the added stoppage time. He was sent to the VIP seats above the bench, and assistant coach Leandro Stillitano assumed sideline duties for the remainder of the match. Mascherano may face a suspension of up to three games for the infraction and for communicating with the bench after being sent off.
Miami assistant coach Javi Morales explained the situation after the game. “The referee added four minutes at the end of the first half, but it felt like six. We argued about the time, and Javier [Mascherano] spoke out. It wasn’t clear, but the referee issued a red card,” Morales said.
Tournament rules allow a manager to watch from the stands but prohibit giving instructions. A press official confirmed that Mascherano continued to direct players from the VIP section and was later seen on the phone with assistant coach Lucas Rodriguez Pagano.
Tigres responded in the 67th minute when new summer signing Ángel Correa, Messi’s Argentina teammate, scored to level the match at 1-1. However, Inter Miami regained the lead late in the game after a second handball inside the Tigres penalty area resulted in another penalty. Suárez stepped up again and converted in the 89th minute.
Tigres nearly equalized in stoppage time when Edgar Lopez headed the ball off both posts, but Miami held firm to secure the win.
Morales praised the team’s resilience. “It was wild, but we played a very good first half. We scored, created chances, and found a way to fight and win,” he said.
Inter Miami will now face Orlando City in the semifinals. Orlando defeated Toluca 6-5 in a penalty shootout after a scoreless 90 minutes. The semifinal promises to be another closely contested match as Miami seeks to defend its 2023 Leagues Cup title.
