Lionel Messi built on his 13th minute assist to Luis Suarez, netting a stupendous finish for the Herons just 15 minutes later.
WHAT HAPPENED?
After a 2-2 draw in the first leg that saw Inter Miami seize an away goals advantage, the Herons came out firing on home turf in the second leg on Wednesday night. The Herons opened the scoring just eight minutes in, with Suarez providing the goal on a Messi assist.
Just 15 minutes later, though, Messi got one of his own, firing home a feed from Diego Gomez to make the score 2-0.
The Argentine’s brilliant first half set the tone for the Herons, shooting them to a 3-1 victory (5-3 aggregate) over NSC. Now, they’re off to the quarterfinals of the tournament.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
The CONCACAF Champions League is Inter Miami’s first crack at a trophy this season, having won the club’s first-ever piece of silverware last season in the Leagues Cup. Perhaps more importantly, though, the tournament gives Miami a chance to qualify for the Club World Cup, where they can match up against some of the world’s best.
WHAT NEXT FOR INTER MIAMI?
Following Wednesday’s cup match, the Herons will be back in action this weekend as they return to MLS play. They’ll play host to D.C. United on Saturday as they look to bounce back from a frustrating defeat to CF Montreal.
As for the Champions Cup, Inter Miami will play the winner of FC Cincinnati and CF Monterrey Thursday evening, in the next round of the tournamen
