On the brink of elimination in the Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals, Inter Miami will hope to rely on Lionel Messi to lead the Herons to a comeback against LAFC.
Inter Miami underwhelmed in the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals. The Herons only mustered three shots on target at BMO Stadium and were held goalless for the first time under Javier Mascherano. Even worse, LAFC's Nathan Ordaz found the back of the net in the 57th minute to give the hosts a 1–0 lead heading into the second leg at Chase Stadium.
Following the disappointing night in Los Angeles, the Herons returned to MLS action and only managed a 1–1 draw with Toronto FC. Inter Miami are now under massive pressure to bounce back from the two poor results to keep their Concacaf Champions Cup berth alive, and it all starts with Messi.
Messi's fitness concerns have dominated the last two months for Inter Miami, especially when he recently suffered a minor muscle injury that kept him from representing Argentina in March. Despite his missed time, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner is still the Herons' leading goalscorer this season and he most recently became the club's all-time leader in goal contributions.
Here's the latest on Messi's status ahead of Inter Miami's clash with LAFC in Fort Lauderdale.
