Fort Lauderdale, Florida — As the Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals dey reach high tension, Inter Miami go face LAFC on April 9, 2025, for Chase Stadium. Dis match no be just ordinary game; na dem dey call am “The Comeback Game” after Miami lost first leg 1-0.
In di first leg wey happen for LAFC’s BMO Stadium, Miami struggle to show dem skill, with only three shots on target and dem no fit score for di first time under coach Javier Mascherano. Na Nathan Ordaz deliver di blow for LAFC as e score for 57th minute, pushin Miami for corner wit pressure.
To make matter worse, Miami play Toronto FC after dat, and dem only fit secure 1-1 draw; dis add more pressure for di team wey wan lift di Champions Cup. Messi, wey dey battle small muscle injury, dey expected to play. Di 37-year-old superstar don dey show im worth as di leading goalscorer for di season and don also become di all-time goal contributor for di club.
Mascherano talk say di importance of Messi no fit be overemphasized, as e dey return to full training after missing international duty for March. “For great players like him, these kinds of matches are an extra motivation,” he said. As Messi dey prepare to impact di crucial game, fans dey expect him to shine.
But Miami go miss di experience of veteran midfielder Sergio Busquets, wey dey suspended due to yellow cards. Mascherano don already express di challenge wey Busquets’ absence dey bring: “We can’t replace him. He’s irreplaceable.” Yannick Bright, wey believe say teamwork go help cover Busquets’ gap, also dey follow up on Mascherano’s sentiment.
LAFC, on di other hand, no dey take dem foot off di gas. Head coach Steve Cherundolo don instill defensive mindset wey dey useful for knockout competitions. Dem reach di Champions Cup finals for 2020 and 2023 and dey ready to add Miami to dem list of defeated teams. “It’s not our idea to come out and defend for 90-plus minutes,” Cherundolo explain.
As di match dey approach, LAFC know say if dem score once, Miami gatz score at least three goals to move forward, thanks to di away goals tiebreaker rule. Dis make pressure dey climb on Miami to balance between launching attack and defending against counterattacks.
Di atmosphere for Chase Stadium go dey electric as fans dey prepare to support dia team in hopes of watching history unfold. Di match go dey broadcast live on FS1 and TUDN, wit kickoff at 8 p.m. ET. Miami dey see dis as opportunity to rewrite dia history and prove demself strong for dis competition.
As both teams get set to face each other, one question dey linger: go Messi and Miami fit rise to di occasion or go LAFC continue dem quest for another Champions Cup title? Di stakes dey high, and di drama dey ready to unfold for di semifinals spot.
