Inter Miami went through a match of extremes at Chase Stadium. On one side, the worry over Lionel Messi’s injury early on. On the other, the relief and euphoria of clinching qualification after a dramatic penalty shootout against Club Necaxa. In regulation, it finished 2-2. In the shootout, a 5-4 win secured the extra point in the Leagues Cup’s first stage. Among the standouts, Rodrigo De Paul pulled the strings, providing both assists that kept the team alive, while Luis Suárez closed it out with the composure the crowd was waiting for.
Messi injury raises alarm and Miami plays short-handed
Just 11 minutes in, the game took a sharp turn. Messi broke down the right, collided with two Mexican defenders, and immediately grabbed the back of his right thigh. The grimace of pain, the fists pounding the turf, and his early exit made it clear something was wrong. Replacing him with Federico Redondo was unavoidable. At 38, the Argentine lives with the reality of managing his body, but the scene is troubling, especially in a short-format tournament like the Leagues Cup.
Even without Messi, Miami stayed focused. Moments later, in the 12th minute, Telasco Segovia picked up a pass from De Paul and unleashed a curling strike into the top corner. A stunning goal, the kind that crowns a hot scoring streak. But the buzz didn’t last long. Soon after, defender Falcón was sent off, leaving the team a man down and forcing defensive reshuffles. With extra space, Necaxa grew into the game and equalized in the 33rd minute, as forward Tomás Badaloni punished a lapse in marking.
Balance and another twist
The second half opened up for both sides. In the 60th minute, Necaxa also went down to ten men when Cristian Calderón was shown a red card, putting the contest back on level terms. That parity lit a spark in both teams, but Necaxa struck first. In the 81st minute, Ricardo Monreal found room to turn the score around. The blow felt heavy for an Inter side already stretched physically and emotionally.
When defeat seemed inevitable, Inter Miami dug deep into a set-piece. In the second minute of stoppage time, De Paul whipped in a perfect free kick that found Jordi Alba in the box. The left-back timed his jump to perfection and headed in the equalizer, his third goal of the season. For De Paul, it was his second assist of the match — a perfect calling card for a player still looking to cement his role as a leader in the squad.
Cool heads in the shootout and Suárez’s clincher
With the draw, the extra point came down to penalties. The shootout was clinical. De Paul went first and converted, followed by Benjamin Cremaschi, Alba, and Federico Redondo. Goalkeeper Ríos Novo delivered a crucial save against Necaxa, leaving the final word to Luis Suárez. The Uruguayan made no mistake, ball one way, keeper the other, sealing the 5-4 win and sending the Chase Stadium into celebration.