Inter Miami and Nashville Advance to the Leagues Cup Finals

Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami will meet Nashville SC in the Leagues Cup finals. The two teams have secured their spot in the title battle after beating rivals in the semifinals.

Messi and Inter Roll Over Philadelphia Union, 4-1

The upcoming game will be a chance for Messi to win his first US trophy, and also for Inter to win its first ever. The Argentinian isn’t slowing down, as he scored another goal last night, the ninth in the past six events played for the franchise from Miami. 

Messi netted in the 25th minute from some 30 yards with a nice strike that went behind Union’s goalkeeper Andre Blake. At that moment, the Herons were up 2-0, because Josef Martinez already scored after only three minutes of play. The fans at Subaru Park saw a dominant performance of the guests, who struck the back of Philly’s net once more until halftime.

Messi’s long-time teammate from Barcelona, Jordi Alba, hit the target this time, increasing the lead of his team and pretty much solving all the dilemmas regarding the contest winner. 

Inter Miami currently have the worst record in MLS.

They've just reached the Leagues Cup Final 😦 pic.twitter.com/SA8m0H0PgS

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) August 16, 2023

Alejandro Bedoya eased the defeat of the hosts, cutting the lead in the 73rd minute, but David Ruiz restored a three-goal margin six minutes before the end of the regulations. 

Inter looked terrifying, and there’s no doubt this team plays the best football in the Leagues Cup. Messi’s fantastic performances continued, and the Argentinian transformed one of the worst teams in the league into the main contender for winning this trophy. Right now, Inter netted 21 times throughout the Leagues Cup, the most of all teams. 

Also, the Herons secured their spot in the CONCACAF Champions League next year, which opens another chance for Messi to increase his impressive trophy collection. The Argentinian would become one of the rare players with titles from two continental club competitions.

Nashville Cruises Past Monterrey, 2-0

In one very interesting and tough event, Nashville managed to defeat Monterrey and advance to the Leagues Cup finals. For many, the Mexican unit was the biggest favorite to win the trophy, yet Nashville managed to eliminate them and not only enter the finals but also earn a spot in the CONCACAF Champions League. 

Both goals took place in the second half, with Sam Surridge and Fafa Picault netting. Surridge opened the show in the 67th minute, following one fast break, which saw Hany Mukhtar setting up a perfect situation for his teammate. 

Monterrey was attacking all the time, pressuring the rivals, and trying to find the crack in their defense, but the Mexicas didn’t have any luck. They were forced to go all-in in the last moments of the event, exposing their defense, which Nashville used in the best possible way. 

It was the 96th minute of the event, when another break ended with the goal inside Monterrey’s net. Picault was the scorer for an eruption of joy at the GEODIS Park. 

Nashville is going to have a home-field edge in the finals against Messi and Inter. The game is set for August 19 at 9 PM ET. Monterrey meets Philadelphia Union in the third-place event on the same day.