FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Inter Miami secured a 2-0 victory against Jamaican side Cavalier FC in the first leg of their round of 16 CONCACAF Champions Cup match, with star player Lionel Messi watching from the sidelines due to rest. This match on Thursday night saw second-half goals by Luis Suárez and Tadeo Allende help the Miami team gain a crucial advantage.
Despite Messi’s absence, having missed his second consecutive game after Miami’s fixture against the Houston Dynamo in Major League Soccer, which Miami won 4-1, Inter Miami managed to find their footing. “The impact of not having Leo is noticeable,” admitted Inter Miami’s first-year coach, Javier Mascherano. “Any team would feel it without him.”
The breakthrough came when Tadeo Allende converted a pass from Sergio Busquets, striking from 12 yards out in the 61st minute to find the net. Later, Suárez capitalized on a ball that deflected off Cavalier defender Shamar Watson’s foot, blasting a shot from 20 yards in the 83rd minute.
“We were not playing with the rhythm or intensity expected in the first half,” said Mascherano. “But we attacked with much more purpose in the second half, which allowed us to control the match.”
Cavalier had a close call in the first half when forward Shaquille Stein seemed to score, but the goal was disallowed for offside following a lengthy video review lasting seven minutes. This moment affected Cavalier’s morale, noted Coach Rudolph Spied, contributing to a drop in their performance.
The second leg is set for March 13 in Kingston, Jamaica. Mascherano clarified that Messi isn’t injured but had been rested due to fatigue after a hectic schedule that saw him play three games in six days before being benched. Messi was part of the last two training sessions but ultimately was not on the field for the match, observing from a private suite.
Notwithstanding the absence of their celebrated star, Mascherano emphasized, “Playing without the world’s best player is a challenge, but it is essential for us to develop and learn to manage without him.”
Cavalier, reigning champions of the Jamaican Premier League and winners of the CONCACAF Caribbean Cup in December, have struggled in the Champions Cup, going scoreless after previous 2-0 and 4-0 losses to FC Cincinnati.
