All eyes were on Lionel Messi for his Inter Miami CF debut, as the hosts took to the field for their Leagues Cup 2023 opening match, against the winners of the inaugural 2019 edition.
Despite their poor league form this season, the LIGA MX side were in control of the game in the first half, as they overran the midfield and carved out chance after chance. Brazilian forward Moisés was particularly crafty in finding space in behind a beleaguered backline, and Carlos Rotondi came close on several occasions.
It was Finnish wide man Robert Taylor, though, who opened the scoring against the run of play, on the stroke of half-time. The Inter Miami man was able to cut inside from the right wing and let rip a shot that rifled in off the far post, handing the hosts an unexpected lead going into the break.
Then came the moment everyone had been waiting for, as Messi was introduced to the game, flanked by his long-time Barcelona teammate Sergio Busquets and his new strike partner Josef Martínez. They did not disappoint.
After Uriel Antuna found the equalizer with a fierce shot that Drake Callender was unable to get a firm hand to, Messi and his teammates were pushing for the three points. After several missed chances, the hosts finally found a winner through none other than the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, who curled in a last-minute free-kick. A dream debut at Leagues Cup for the Argentine.
A first penalty shootout in Leagues Cup 2023 fell in the favor of Orlando City in a heated and highly competitive South 2 opener at Exploria Stadium. Amine Bassi put Houston Dynamo ahead just before half-time from the penalty spot, after referee Filip Dujic adjudged Robin Santos to have fouled Griffen Dorsey in the box. VAR did not review the decision - despite complaints from the home players - and Bassi stepped up to convert his sixth penalty of the season.
Houston had taken the lead arguably against the run of play, and it didn’t hold up for long following the restart. A calamitous pass from goalkeeper Andrew Tarbell was the result of perseverance on the part of hard-working young striker Duncan McGuire, who simply finished into an open net.
Both sides would have regretted missed chances and a lack of incision in the latter stages of the game, as it came down to a penalty shootout following the 90. Houston’s Héctor Herrera missed his side’s first spot-kick, as Orlando managed to score all five without fail to give them the points on a sweltering evening in central Florida.
LIGA MX minnow Mazatlan FC stunned the home crowd at Q2 Stadium following a 3-1 win over Austin FC. Josué Colmán opened the scoring for Mazatlan FC from the top of the 18-yard box, curling a beautiful shot into the upper left corner just before halftime. Austin FC got itself back into the match following a 65th-minute penalty conversion from Diego Fagúndez.
The relief was short-lived for Austin FC fans. Two minutes later, Mazatlan midfielder Andrés Montaño fired a rocket from outside of the 18-yard box put his club back into the lead. His teammates Eduard Bello put the match away in the 88th minute, sneaking in behind the defense and beating the goalkeeper one-on-one to seal the stunning upset.
In a hotly-contested match where tensions nearly boiled over, it was Charlotte FC who came out on top in the opening game of the South 4 group. It was the hosts FC Dallas who first opened the score just before half-time, as Bernard Kamungo found the far post with a sweeping finish from the left. The North Carolina outfit were level again on the hour mark, as forward Kamil Świderski converted from the spot.
Kamungo was the provider on FC Dallas’ second strike of the game, as he laid it up for Sebastian Lletget to find the net with a similar finish to the Texas club’s first. Charlotte FC would then leave it late to find a leveler in dramatic fashion, as Ben Bender turned in from a free-kick on 97 minutes to snatch the win from the MLS Western Conference outfit. It was a point that they would then turn to two soon later, by winning the penalty shoot-out 4-1 and claiming top spot in the pool after the opening night.
An exciting 2-2 draw between Club León and Vancouver Whitecaps was followed up by 19 rounds of penalty kicks and ended with León earning the extra point in its first group stage match. León’s Elías Hernández sent the match to Pas with his 77th-minute equalizer. Midfielder Jaine Barreiro dribbled up the right flank of the pitch, pushing the Vancouver defender back. That allowed Barreiro to find Hernández outside the top of the box, and Hernández whipped a one-time shot into the upper left corner to equalize.
The late equalizer and 19-round penalty kicks obscured a big day for Vancouver’s Sergio Córdova. The Venezuelan noticed a brace with his second goal in the 57th minute giving the club a 2-1 lead. He’s now scored four goals in his last three matches for the Whitecaps.
