With the outstanding play of Leonard Campana, Inter Miami beat Cincinnati 5-4 on penalties on Wednesday (3-3 in 120 minutes) and advanced to the finals of the US Open Cup, a smaller tournament in the American calendar.
Two goals from the Ecuadorian on passes from Lionel Messi in the 68th and 97th minutes tied the game at 2-2 and forced overtime. Inter advanced through the Venezuelan Josef MartÃnez (93 m), but the Japanese Yuya Kubo (114 m) sent the game to penalty kicks in which American defender Nick Hagglund made a decisive mistake for Cincinnati.
A month after his debut in Miami, Messi remains unbeaten in eight games with Inter and will be fighting for a second title after Saturday’s League Cup final, which he also won on penalties.
Inter will face Houston Dynamo or Real Salt Lake in the final on September 27 for their first US Open Cup trophy, the oldest tournament in the United States and equivalent to Spain’s Copa del Rey or England’s FA Cup.
Messi has already led other comebacks in the Liga Cup, a joint tournament with the Mexican league, such as the round of 16 against FC Dallas, when he scored one of Inter’s two goals in the final minutes to tie 4-4 and advance. execution of penalties.
In the current MLS season, Cincinnati ranks first overall with 51 points from 24 games, while Inter is last with 18 from 22.
The franchise co-owned by David Beckham, however, has resurged in a big way since the arrival of Messi, who until this Wednesday had scored in every game in pink and was the League Cup’s top scorer with 10 goals in seven games. (D)
Source: Eluniverso
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