Los Angeles FC handed Lionel Messi and Inter Miami their first defeat of the season on Wednesday, pulling off a 1-0 upset in the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinal first leg.
Nathan Ordaz, the Los Angeles-born El Salvador international, struck in the 57th minute to give LAFC a crucial advantage heading into next Wednesday’s return leg in Florida.
Messi and Miami, unbeaten in nine games across all competitions, arrived in Los Angeles as the form team of Major League Soccer.
However, after a cautious first half where neither side gained the upper hand, LAFC ramped up their intensity in the second half, immediately putting Miami under pressure.
LAFC fullback Ryan Hollingshead squandered a golden chance in the 54th minute, blasting his shot well wide of goal after bursting into the penalty area on the overlap.
They made the all-important breakthrough three minutes later, with the 21-year-old homegrown striker Ordaz spinning away from former Barcelona and Spain international Sergio Busquets and thumping a low shot into the bottom corner past Miami keeper Oscar Ustari.
Argentine superstar Messi, making his first start since returning as a substitute last weekend following a two-week injury layoff, struggled to gain a foothold in the contest.
Instead, it was Los Angeles who looked most likely to score in front of a raucous home crowd of 22,207 fans at BMO Stadium, which included NBA superstar Stephen Curry, Miami team owner David Beckham, and Argentina national team manager Lionel Scaloni.
U.S. international Aaron Long headed just over from a free kick in the 63rd minute, and moments later, only a desperate goal-line block from Miami defender Maxi Falcone denied LAFC midfielder Timothy Tillman.
Falcone had one of Miami’s few chances in the second half, glancing a header toward the bottom corner that LAFC’s former France international goalkeeper Hugo Lloris gathered comfortably.
In a sign of mounting Miami frustration, Busquets was booked for a wild challenge on Cengiz Ünder.
A disappointing night for Messi was summed up by his failure to make the most of a free kick in a promising position deep into stoppage time, with the Argentine sending his shot whistling well over the bar as LAFC held on for a deserved victory.