Luis Suarez converted twice from the penalty spot, including an 89th-minute winner, and Inter Miami overcame Lionel Messi’s injury absence to defeat Tigres UANL 2-1 in the Leagues Cup quarterfinals on Wednesday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Miami manager Javier Mascherano was also sent off at halftime. However, none of that prevented the Herons from reaching their second Leagues Cup semifinal in three years and second major semifinal this season.
Suarez’s late penalty came after referee Mario Escobar used a video review to rule Javier Aquino guilty of a penalty-area handball. Aquino also committed the first penalty offense that led to Suarez’s 23rd-minute opener.
Angel Correa pulled Tigres level in the 67th minute. Ivan Lopez nearly tied it again in the first minute of second-half stoppage time with a header that struck both goalposts but did not cross the line.
Following his ejection, Mascherano went to the stands. The TV broadcast subsequently showed him apparently communicating with his staff via phone, which is not allowed for a coach who was shown a red card.
Miami will host next week’s semifinal against Orlando City, a team that has won two regular-season meetings against the Herons by a combined 7-1 score.
Orlando City 0 (6), Toluca 0 (5)
Pedro Gallese made two shootout saves, then converted Orlando’s seventh penalty to lift Orlando City past Toluca in Carson, Calif., and into a semifinal meeting against their Florida rivals.
Gallese denied Nicolas Castro and Juan Pablo Dominguez after each team converted its first five kicks. Orlando’s Ramiro Enrique missed the target with a chance to clinch the victory one round before Gallese netted the winner.
The top finisher in the Liga MX table from the Leagues Cup’s first phase and fourth-place finisher in the MLS standings combined for 15 goals during their group games before playing to a surprising scoreless draw.
Toluca outshot Orlando 15-4 over 90 minutes but was quite wasteful. Orlando’s only shot on goal came when Rodrigo Schlegel’s 45th-minute header forced Luis Garcia into his lone save.
Seattle Sounders 0 (4), Puebla 0 (3)
Andrew Thomas saved two penalty kicks in a shootout and 10-man Seattle advanced despite a wasteful attacking showing against visiting Puebla.
Thomas denied Ricardo Marin and Nicolas Diaz to help the Sounders continue their pursuit of a second major continental honor after winning the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League.
The Sounders heavily dominated possession and outshot Puebla 13-5. Jesus Ferreira may have come closest to giving the hosts the lead in regulation when he dragged a first-time volley just wide of the left post in the 71st minute.
Five minutes later, Seattle’s Danny Musovski was dismissed for bumping into referee Juan Gabriel Calderon as Calderon was brandishing a caution for Musovski’s foul on Diaz.
Musovski will be suspended at least for next week’s semifinal against the host Los Angeles Galaxy, and potentially additional CONCACAF matches.
Galaxy 2, CF Pachuca 1
Marco Reus scored one goal and helped create another as Los Angeles continued its unexpected tournament run against Pachuca in Carson, Calif.
Both Los Angeles goals came before halftime. In the 27th minute, Reus’ cross following a corner kick pressured Pachuca’s Alonso Aceves into a lunge that resulted in an own goal. In the 37th minute, Reus finished off a counterattack from the penalty spot after reaching Matheus Nascimento’s deflected pass.
Novak Micovic made five saves for the reigning MLS Cup champions, including an excellent denial of Alemao’s volley in the 78th minute. That proved vital when Alemao scored a late consolation tally on an acrobatic volley in second-half stoppage time.
The Galaxy have now outscored opponents 12-4 in the Leagues Cup. That’s in stark contrast to a miserable MLS regular season, in which they’ve earned 16 points in 26 games while posting a minus-26 goal differential.
–Field Level Media
