Good, Bad & Ugly: Club León eliminates Inter Miami despite Messi's surprise return
For the second straight match, first-year Herons Lovend's Delinois, age 18, and Dániel Pintér, 19, started as Inter Miami's forwards Wednesday against Club León; neither had scored fa first-team goal.
That's not ideal for a side needing to win by multiple goals to keep alive their Leagues Cup hopes. The Herons played without strikers Luis Suárez (banned) and Germán Berterame (injured), or wingers Mateo Silvetti and Tadeo Allende (both injured), leaving them without a proven finisher for the third straight match. Not even Lionel Messi, recently returned from his father's funeral in Argentina, was able to write a happy ending to this script.
The Esmeraldas scored three second-half goals, two by Daniel Arcila, to claim a 3-2 come-from-behind victory and eliminate Inter Miami from the competition. With the victory, León finished Phase One with a perfect 3-0 record and clinched a spot in the Leagues Cup quarterfinals. Miami finished 1-2.
GOOD -- Messi. Despite traveling from his father's graveside in Argentina in the hours before the match, Lionel Messi dressed for the match and came on to start the second half. Although he didn't have much impact, the return of the grieving son was an iconic moment for Messi and Herons fans.
ALSO GOOD -- Yannick Bright. The central midfielder was the Herons' most impactful player Wednesday, scoring the second goal in the scramble after a Miami corner kick and earning a team-high FotMob player rating of 8.3. Only Club León striker Daniel Arcila, who scored twice for the Esmeraldas, had a higher rating (9.1). Bright, 24, is an Italian who starred at the University of New Hampshire before being drafted by Miami in 2024. His play continues to show why he earned an all-star selection this summer.
BAD -- Another injury. Micael dos Santos Silva suffered a sprained ankle and left the match in the 33rd minute. After the match, interim coach Guillermo Hoyos called the sprain "significant"; an MRI confirmed his diagnosis this morning. A statement from the club didn't specify a timeline for his return; fortunately, center backs Gonzalo Luján and Maxi Falcón are working their way back into the team after injuries. Luján started beside Micael last night and Falcón was available on the bench. Homegrown players Noah Allen and Ian Fray, last night's starting wing backs, also can play center back and the Herons recently acquired Ecuadorian prospect Fricio Caicedo on loan.
UGLY -- Predictability. To be fair, Inter Miami needed to win by multiple goals to have even the slightest chance to advance at the Leagues Cup so, even playing without a true striker or experienced wingers, Hoyos pushed the attack. It seemed to work well through the first half with León content to allow Miami to control possession; the Mexican side could advance with a draw. But trailing 1-0 at halftime, Javier Gandolfi brought in another striker and deployed an aggressive press against the Herons. Hoyos didn't have an answer; he continued to push numbers forward, exposing the backline to the Esmeraldas' counterattack. No matter how desperate the situation -- maybe because the situation was so desperate -- there should have been a backup plan.
NEXT UP -- Las Garzas return to MLS action Saturday at league-leading Nashville SC. The Coyotes (12-2-4, 40 points) lead Miami (11-2-5, 38 pts.) by two points in the Eastern Conference and Supporters' Shield standings. The match is the latest in a series of meaningful matches between the clubs, who have developed one of the league's best rivalries.
