Los Angeles FC handed Lionel Messi and Inter Miami their first defeat of the season, claiming a 1-0 victory in the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarter-final first leg on Wednesday.
El Salvador international Nathan Ordaz, a 21-year-old Los Angeles native, scored the decisive goal in the 57th minute. The young striker created space by turning away from former Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets before firing a low shot into the bottom corner past Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari.
Miami entered the match unbeaten in nine games across all competitions this season, but struggled to establish their usual rhythm at BMO Stadium. Messi, making his first start since returning from a two-week injury layoff, found it difficult to influence the game against LAFC’s determined defense.
The home side created the better chances throughout the match, particularly in the second half. Ryan Hollingshead missed a golden opportunity in the 54th minute, shooting wide after breaking into the penalty area. Later, Aaron Long headed over from a free-kick, and Timothy Tillman was denied by a desperate goal-line clearance from Miami defender Maxi Falcon.
Miami’s frustration became evident when Busquets received a yellow card for a reckless challenge on Cengiz Under. Even Messi couldn’t salvage a result, sending a stoppage-time free-kick from a promising position well over the crossbar.
A crowd of 22,207 spectators, including NBA star Stephen Curry, Miami owner David Beckham, and Argentina national team manager Lionel Scaloni, witnessed LAFC’s impressive performance.
The teams will meet again next Wednesday in Florida for the second leg, with Miami needing to overturn the deficit to advance to the semi-finals.
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