Lionel Messi, Inter Miami to face Nashville in Leagues Cup final
The dream of Lionel Messi wearing an Inter Miami jersey and hoisting a trophy at DRV PNK Stadium has been delayed.
His new club is one win away from winning the Leagues Cup, but it will have to do so on the road in the Music City. Inter Miami will travel to GEODIS Park on Saturday to face Nashville SC in the Leagues Cup final. The game is scheduled for a 9 p.m. start.
The opponent was determined by Nashville’s 2-0 win over Mexican club Monterrey late Tuesday night. It was a closely contested match that came down to the finish, but Nashville ultimately overcame a disallowed first-half goal and a late dagger to squeak by.
The match will be played in Nashville because it finished with more regular-season points last year (50) than Inter Miami (48).
Both Miami and Nashville have clinched spots in the CONCACAF Champions Cup by finishing in the top-three of the Leagues Cup. The winner, besides being named the inaugural Leagues Cup champion, will automatically qualify for the CONCACAF Champions Cup round of 16.
Nashville (11-8-5, fourth in the Eastern Conference) has gone through a bumpy ride to reach the Leagues Cup final. It lost one of its group-stage matches to Toluca, but advanced to the knockout stage with a second-place finish in its group. Nashville then won two consecutive matches in penalty kicks, before delivering a 5-0 dismantling of Minnesota United in the quarterfinals after an early red card was assessed.
Miami and Nashville have faced each other eight times, with Nashville holding a 4-2-2 advantage. Inter Miami won the most recent meeting in May, a 2-1 victory in South Florida in the round of 16 of the U.S. Open Cup. Nashville won the last time they played at GEODIS Park, also in May.
The road match means it will be the second of four consecutive road matches for Inter Miami. Following Saturday’s final, they will play at FC Cincinnati Aug. 23 and at the New York Red Bulls Aug. 26 before returning to DRV PNK Stadium Aug. 30 — coincidentally against Nashville in the regular season.
Inter Miami came out on fire Tuesday night at Philadelphia, jumping out to a 3-0 lead at halftime. The second half was not as smooth though, with the Union peppering plenty of shots and controlling possession. A combination of tremendous goalkeeping from Drake Callender and some good fortune with feeble finishing allowed Inter Miami to only concede one goal until midfielder David Ruiz provided the dagger.
Perhaps Inter Miami’s shelled second-half effort was intentional to an extent, but they will need to put together a better 90-minute performance against Nashville.
