Los Angeles FC sent Lionel Messi and Inter Miami spinning to their first defeat of the season on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, scoring an upset 1-0 victory in their CONCACAF Champions Cup quarter-final first-leg clash. A 57th-minute strike from Los Angeles-born El Salvador international Nathan Ordaz handed LAFC a precious advantage heading into next Wednesday's return leg in Florida.
"I think we saw a complete performance," said LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo, whose only complaint was that his team had not managed to win by a more convincing margin. "If we're honest with ourselves we need to be a little sharper in front of goal. If we get the same types of chances next week in Miami we need to be a little more ruthless."
Miami coach Javier Mascherano had few complaints about his team's defeat. "Obviously we didn't have the best night tonight but it's only the first leg," Mascherano said. "We have another game next week. We can do what we need to reach the semi-finals."
Unbeaten in nine games across all competitions since the start of the season, Messi and Miami arrived in Los Angeles as the form team of Major League Soccer. But after a cagey first half that saw neither side manage to get on top, Los Angeles raised their intensity and began causing problems for the visitors.
LAFC fullback Ryan Hollingshead squandered a golden chance in the 54th minute, blasting well wide after bursting into the penalty area on the overlap. They made the 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 likeliest to score in front of a raucous home crowd of 22,207 fans at the BMO Stadium that included NBA superstar Stephen Curry, Miami team owner David Beckham, and Argentina national team manager Lionel Scaloni.
US 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 Falcon denied LAFC midfielder Timothy Tillman. Falcon had one of Miami's few chances in the second half, glancing a header towards 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 Under. 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.
With the win, LAFC took a one-goal advantage into the second leg of its CONCACAF Champions Cup aggregate-goal quarterfinal series against Inter Miami. The return leg will be played in South Florida on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at 5 p.m. PT.
Prior to the second leg game in Florida next week, LAFC will resume MLS action when the club travels to Texas to tackle the Houston Dynamo on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. PT.
LAFC is now a perfect 3-0-0 at home in the Champions Cup this year, having previously beaten the Colorado Rapids (1-0) and Columbus Crew (3-0) at BMO Stadium. With this victory, LAFC is 6-5-0 in all competitions this year, including a 5-1-0 record at home. All five of those wins have seen the club shut out its opponent.
Tonight’s win was LAFC’s 10th all-time in Concacaf play. The club is 10-7-1 all-time in the competition, including 6-2-0 at home. In those eight home games, LAFC has outscored opponents 15-3 while keeping six clean sheets. Against MLS opponents, LAFC is 6-2-1 in Concacaf play, eliminating Vancouver and Philadelphia in 2023 as well as Colorado and Columbus this year.
Nathan Ordaz scored the game’s only goal, marking his second goal in the Champions Cup this year, leaving him second on the team in the competition behind Denis Bouanga, who has three goals. Ordaz is the fifth different LAFC player to score more than one goal in Concacaf competition, joining Bouanga, Carlos Vela, Mahala Opoku, and Diego Rossi.
Mark Delgado was credited with an assist on Ordaz’s goal for his first Champions Cup assist of the season. He is now one of six LAFC players with an assist in Concacaf play this year. Hugo Lloris finished the game with three saves for his third shutout in the Champions Cup this year. Bouanga and Timothy Tillman each played in their 13th Champions Cup game for LAFC, moving them into a tie with Diego Palacios and Carlos Vela for the most in club history.
Odin Holm came off the bench in the second half to make his Champions Cup debut for LAFC. After missing the last four games with a leg injury, Marlon returned to action for LAFC, entering the game late in place of Nathan Ordaz. He had appeared in five of LAFC’s first six games of the year prior to his injury, starting three times.
LAFC is now 3-1-0 in all competitions against Inter Miami, with all three wins coming via a shutout.
