Beaten by the Mexican club Monterrey (2-1) in the quarter-final first leg of the Concacaf Champions League (North America, Central America and the Caribbean), in Fort Lauderdale (Florida), Miami nevertheless took the advantage thanks to a goal from Tomas Aviles in the 19th minute. The Herons, deprived of Messi – sidelined since mid-March due to a hamstring injury – were still leading when they lost midfielder David Ruiz following a second yellow card at the 65th minute.
Monterrey equalized four minutes later on a goal from Maximiliano Meza, then took the lead in the final minutes. The decisive goal was scored in the 89th following a ball lost by Inter Miami at the entrance to the penalty area. Meza passed the ball to Jorge Rodriguez, who fired a 20-yard right-footed shot into the far corner.
The quarterfinal second leg will take place on April 10 in Guadalupe, Mexico.
