FORT LAUDERDALE, (Florida): Lionel Messi left with “hamstring discomfort” in the 11th minute but Inter Miami earned a 5-4 penalty shootout win against visiting Necaxa following a 2-2 draw in Matchday 2 of Leagues Cup Phase One play on Saturday night.
Miami (1-0-1, 5 points) converted all of their penalties, with Luis Suarez clinching the extra point with a finish off the underside of the crossbar after a wild game that saw both teams finish with 10 men.
Herons goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo made one save, thwarting Tomas Badaloni’s attempt from the spot.
Earlier, Badaloni scored his third of the tournament in the 33rd minute for Necaxa (1-0-1, 4 points), who played 11-on-10 for 43 minutes after Inter Miami’s Maximiliano Falcon was ejected for denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity with a 17th-minute foul.
Cristian Calderon’s second yellow card in the 60th minute evened numbers before Necaxa’s Ricardo Montreal and Miami’s Jordi Alba traded goals after the 80th minute.
Miami’s Telasco Segovia opened the scoring a minute after Messi’s departure.
The 38-year-old Messi limped off the field under his own power after a trainer attended to his right leg. After the match, Miami manager Javier Mascherano declared the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner’s injury to be “hamstring discomfort.”
Orlando City 3, Atlas 1
Martin Ojeda scored the decisive goal in the 57th minute to boost Orlando City’s hopes of reaching the knockout phase and eliminate visiting Atlas from contention.
Ivan Angulo opened the scoring, and Marco Pasalic added very late insurance 12 minutes into second-half stoppage time seal the win for Orlando (1-0-1, 4 points). The Lions opened their tournament with a 1-1 draw against Pumas UNAM and lost the ensuing penalty shootout.
Matias Coccaro briefly leveled the contest in the 50th minute for Atlas (0-2-0, 0 points), which lost its opening match 2-1 to Inter Miami on a stoppage-time goal assisted by Messi.
Coccaro was later sent off in second-half stoppage time before Pasalic’s tally for his role in a late skirmish that involved several players from both teams. — REUTERS
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