Lionel Messi scored his second goal of the night with an 84th-minute penalty kick, sealing Inter Miami’s 3-1 victory over Los Angeles FC on Wednesday in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
This win allowed Messi and the Herons to advance to the semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup, as they won the second leg of the tie with a total goal aggregate of 3-2.
Los Angeles initially took the lead, going up 2-0 on aggregate when Aaron Long scored in the ninth minute. However, Messi equalized in the 35th minute, and Noah Allen, assisted by Messi, scored in the 61st minute, leveling the aggregate score at 2-2.
A video review confirmed a handball against Mark Delgado, which resulted in the decisive penalty kick. Messi calmly placed the ball into the top right corner of the net.
The first goal was set up by a scramble in the Miami penalty area after a corner kick, where Long found the ball and struck a right-footed volley from 10 yards out.
For his first goal, Messi received a pass near the top of the LAFC 18-yard box, dribbled past a defender, and fired a left-footed shot into the goal. After the hour mark, Allen received a pass from Messi outside the Los Angeles penalty area and chipped the ball towards the net. The ball went untouched by anyone and rolled into the goal.
In the two-legged semifinal, Inter Miami will face the Vancouver Whitecaps.
