Inter Miami Edges Tigres UANL in Leagues Cup Without Messi

FORT LAUDERDALE, Aug 21 (AP) – In a thrilling Leagues Cup quarterfinal matchup, Inter Miami triumphed over Mexico's Tigres UANL with a 2-1 victory, despite the absence of star player Lionel Messi. Luis Suarez emerged as the hero for Miami, successfully netting two penalty kicks to secure the win.

After leading his team to a win against the LA Galaxy, Messi opted to sit out the Wednesday game. "His participation depends on how he's feeling," Inter Miami assistant coach Javier Morales explained. "Today, Javier Mascherano talked to him, and he wasn’t feeling at his best, so we decided not to risk him."

Suarez delivered his first penalty after Jordi Alba’s cross inadvertently struck the arm of Tigres defender Javier Aquino. Although Ángel Correa managed to equalize for Tigres with a penetrating goal through the Miami defense, Suarez sealed the victory with a second penalty, again due to an arm incident involving Aquino in the box.

The match's intensity was highlighted by a dramatic moment when a header attempt by Tigres' Edgar Lopez hit both posts before bouncing away from goal. Adding to the drama, Mascherano received a red card before the second half and was seen giving instructions over the phone, which contravenes Leagues Cup regulations.

"We were disputing the added time. They declared four minutes, but we played nearly six," commented Morales. He also admitted not witnessing Mascherano's phone instructions, stating, "A lot happened on the bench."

Inter Miami's Jordi Alba exited early in the second half following a collision that injured his lower leg late in the first half. "While we await a medical update, it seems to be a knee hit," Morales added.

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