The Striped Monterrey Mexicans beat this Wednesday with authority (3-1) the Inter Miami of Leo Messi to qualify for the semifinals of the Concacaf Champions Cup. In the second leg of the quarterfinals, Brandon Vázquez, Argentine Germán Berterame and Jesús Gallardo scored for Monterrey, which took the series 5-2, winning the first leg 1-2 last week. Paraguayan Diego Gómez scored for Inter in a match in which Jordi Alba ended up sent off for a double yellow card.
Miami dominated possession of the ball throughout the game, but was unable to bother Argentine Esteban Andrada, Monterrey’s goalkeeper, for much of the game, something that the Rayados took advantage of to open the scoring from the first half. After two saves by Drake Callender, Inter’s goalkeeper, Callender himself made a bad start with the ball that allowed Vázquez to intercept the ball to define the 1-0 in the 31st minute.
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Messi, in his first official match in Mexico, tried to stand up for his team, however his clearest shot in the entire match was in the 25th minute and went over the crossbar. The Rayados defined the duel in the second half. In the 58th minute, Gerardo Arteaga made an overflow on the left wing and made a cross that Berterame, after outwitting a defender, converted into 2-0.
Canales celebrates Brandon Vázquez’s goal
Without a response from Messi or his teammates, another error by the Miami defense allowed Berterame to filter a lob pass to Gallardo, who with a header made it 3-0 that ensured Monterrey’s place in the semifinals. Almost at the end of the match, Messi took a free kick in the area that Diego Gómez took advantage of not being pressured by a defender to score the 3-1 with his head in the 85th minute.
The Rayados del Monterrey will face the Columbus Crew, MLS champion, in the semifinals of the Champions Cup, which eliminated the Mexican Tigres UANL last Tuesday.
DATA SHEET
3 – Monterrey: Esteban Andrada; Erick Aguirre, Stefan Medina, Víctor Guzmán, Gerardo Arteaga; Maximiliano Meza (Jordi Cortizo m.80), Luis Romo (César Garza m.85), Sergio Canales (Alfonso González m.85), Jesús Gallardo; Germán Berterame and Brandon Vásquez (Omar Govea m.76)
1 – Inter Miami: Drake Callender; Marcelo Weigandt, Tomás Avilés, Niclás Freire, Noah Allen, Jordi Alba; Julián Gressel, Sergio Busquets, Diego Gómez; Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi
Goals: 1-0, Brando Vázquez (m. 31); 2-0, Germán Berterame (m. 58); 3-0, Jesús Gallardo (m. 64); 3-1, Diego Gómez (m. 85)
Referee: Iván Barton, from El Salvador. He booked Luis Suárez, Jordi Alba and Stefan Medina. He expelled Jordi Alba.
Incidents: Second leg of the quarterfinals of the Concacaf Champions Cup, played at the BBVA stadium in Monterrey, in northern Mexico
