Inter Miami & LAFC vie for Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal spot  | OneFootball

By MLSsoccer staff

Inter Miami CF and LAFC’s rosters were both built with one objective: Winning trophies.

On Wednesday night (8 pm ET | FS1, TUDN, ViX), one of these two high-profile MLS sides will take a massive step toward said goal when they face off in the decisive Leg 2 of their Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal series.

LAFC visit Miami’s Chase Stadium with a 1-0 advantage thanks to Nathan Ordaz’s lone goal in last week’s series opener.

Comeback bid

Despite the adverse scoreline, Herons head coach Javier Mascherano believes his squad is more than up for the challenge.

“When I was a player at least, what gave meaning to this profession were games like the one we have tomorrow,” said Mascherano, a former Argentina international defender whose club career included memorable stints with Liverpool and FC Barcelona.

“… This is the most beautiful aspect of soccer: being able to play these types of games.”

Busquets suspended

Miami's star-studded lineup is loaded with players who, over the years, have thrived in these types of games – specifically the 'Core Four' of Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets.

However, the latter will miss Leg 2 due to suspension, leaving a massive absence in the center of the pitch.

"We can’t replace him. He’s irreplaceable," said fellow holding midfielder Yannick Bright during Tuesday's Matchday-1 media availability. "So I think that more than me, I think it’s teamwork. It’s gotta be from everybody to help each other to miss him a little less than what we think he’s gonna be missed.

"But we’re ready, everybody’s up for it. And it’s going to be up to everyone to step up and do their part."

Chasing history

Miami, the 2023 League Cup winners who lifted the 2024 Supporters’ Shield in record-setting fashion, are 90 minutes away from surpassing their best-ever performance in CCC play, following their quarterfinal elimination at the hands of LIGA MX powerhouse CF Monterrey in last year’s competition.

“To advance would be a historic achievement for the club, to reach the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals for the first time,” Mascherano said. “So in that sense, more than pressure, there’s hope.

“A lot of hope.”

LAFC eye another final

LAFC, by contrast, have a much deeper Concacaf Champions Cup pedigree, reaching the tournament final in 2020 and 2023.

With a slight aggregate lead and CCC history on their side, the Black & Gold are looking to put the series away with eyes on a first international title. To do so, head coach Steve Cherundolo said his team won't be going into the match with any sort of conservative mindset.

"Certainly, it's not our idea to come out and defend for 90-plus minutes," Cherundolo said Tuesday. "That's not what we set out to do with this group. And this group understands if there is a time to defend, how to do it. I think that's important. But certainly to make Miami defend and occupy them with the ball with our ideas offensively to try to be dangerous and score a goal."

It will also require replicating the mammoth defensive effort LAFC put forth in Leg 1, when they became the first club to manage a clean sheet against Messi and the Herons in 2025.

"Truly one of the greatest players to ever play this game," Cherundolo said of Messi. "And I think stopping him in any team he has played on has never been an individual effort, it's always a collective effort. And to be frank, it's not 100 percent possible to stop him all the time.

"...That's something we have to deal with, I thought we dealt with it very well in the first leg."