The Columbus Crew, with a three-goal barrage in 14 minutes, reaffirmed its place as the best team in Major League Soccer.
The Crew responded after a dreadful start – lifeless, down 2-0 to an Inter Miami team without Lionel Messi after the first 67 minutes – to win 3-2 in a thrilling comeback on Tuesday night during their Leagues Cup Round-of-16 match.
It was a battle of defending champions, fighting for MLS bragging rights and a chance to advance to this year’s Leagues Cup quarterfinals. It ended in a slugfest at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio.
Diego Rossi followed Christian Ramirez’s goal (67’) with two of his own (69’ and 80’) to help the reigning MLS champion Crew eliminate Inter Miami, which won the Leagues Cup last year.
“It’s been a long moment that we haven’t had a situation like this. And this is a good reminder that we don’t quit,” Crew coach Wilfried Nancy said. “After that, if the team is better than us or they score more goals, no problem. But the spirit, we don’t quit. I’m happy that we did it.”
The Crew will play New York City FC, which defeated Tigres UANL 2-1 Tuesday, in the Leagues Cup quarterfinals later this week. Columbus finished second in the CONCACAF Champions Cup earlier this year.
Matias Rojas (10’) and Diego Gomez (62’) scored for Inter Miami, which nearly won its second match against Columbus this summer after a 2-1 home win on June 19. Along with the best record in MLS, it would have been tough to dispute Inter Miami’s status as the league’s best if they pulled it off without Messi again.
“I think we played a brilliant 65 minutes, where we could have scored the third goal. And in the 10 minutes we had some confusion,” Inter Miami coach Tata Martino said. “I am very sad about the result because I think it is too little for the match we played and the opponent we played against.”
Inter Miami is eliminated from the Leagues Cup and will return to regular-season action later this month, still awaiting Messi’s return from a right ankle injury that’s sidelined him since the Copa America final on June 14.
It was only Inter Miami’s third loss in 11 games without Messi, dating back to his Copa America departure on June 1.
Still, Inter Miami is in excellent shape for Messi’s eventual return.
Inter Miami leads the MLS Eastern Conference with 53 points, 10 points ahead of the third-place Crew. Leagues Cup games don’t affect the MLS standings.
“The reality is that one cannot help but be very, very satisfied with the way we were able to play at the home of the last champion, and a team that was also a Conca-champion finalist,” Martino said of his team’s performance against the Crew.
Here are highlights from the Columbus Crew vs. Inter Miami Leagues Cup match:
Columbus Crew vs. Inter Miami highlights
Diego Rossi goal: Columbus Crew 3, Inter Miami 2
Down 2-0, the Columbus Crew has taken the lead in a matter of 15 minutes.
Diego Rossi has a brace, scoring his second goal in the 80th minute to give the Crew a 3-2 lead against Inter Miami.
The game has turned upside down for both clubs.
Diego Rossi goal: Columbus Crew 2, Inter Miami 2
Well, that was quick.
The Columbus Crew’s Diego Rossi scored a right boot on a stellar set piece from Cucho Hernandez, and this Leagues Cup match is tied in the 69th minute.
Christian Ramirez goal: Inter Miami 2, Columbus Crew 1
How about that response by the Columbus Crew?
Just minutes after falling behind 2-0, Crew substitute Christian Ramirez scored in the 67th minute to cut the deficit.
Diego Gomez goal: Inter Miami 2, Columbus Crew 0
Inter Miami has doubled its lead against the defending MLS champs.
Diego Gomez scored a right strike in the 62nd minute, after a stellar series of passes from Luis Suarez, to give Inter Miami a 2-0 lead against the Crew.
If Inter Miami hangs on, it’ll win its second match against the defending champion Crew this season and advance in Leagues Cup.
Inter Miami leads 1-0 vs. Columbus at halftime in Leagues Cup
Inter Miami has kept Columbus at bay with steady defense, while capitalizing on a big mistake in the opening minutes.
Matias Rojas scored a header in the 10th minute for Miami, whose pressure led to a Columbus miscue near the net for an early lead.
Columbus has not been able to generate many long runs or attacks toward the net thanks to Inter Miami’s defensive line of five players. MLS All-Star Diego Rossi missed a prime shot over the net in the 43rd minute.
Matias Rojas goal: Inter Miami 1, Columbus 0
Inter Miami took advantage of a Columbus miscue near the net, and Matias Rojas scored a header in the 10th minute to take a 1-0 lead on the road in this Leagues Cup Round-of-16 affair.
Rojas scored after an assist and takeaway from Diego Gomez, with Luis Suarez also swarming defensively before the goal.
How to watch Columbus Crew vs. Inter Miami live stream?
The Inter Miami match against Columbus Crew will be available via MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
Columbus Crew vs. Inter Miami starting lineups
Here are the starting lineups for both clubs for tonight’s match:
Is Messi playing tonight?
No, Messi will be out again, Inter Miami coach Tata Martino confirmed Monday.
Although Messi is no longer wearing a walking boot, Messi continues to train away from teammates with trainers since sustaining the injury in the Copa America final on July 14.
When will Messi return from injury?
It’s unclear when Messi will return from injury.
A few dates to keep in mind: Messi could join Argentina for two World Cup 2026 qualifiers on Sept. 5 (vs. Chile in Argentina) and Sept. 10 (away vs. Colombia).
What happened last time Columbus played Inter Miami?
Inter Miami beat Columbus 2-1 on June 19 – with Messi and Luis Suarez away from the club during Copa America. Ian Fray and Leo Campana scored for Miami, while Cucho Hernández scored for Columbus.
Which team would winner face in Leagues Cup quarterfinals?
The winner of the Inter Miami-Columbus match will face the winner of Tuesday’s match between Tigres UANL and New York City FC.
Leagues Cup 2024 Round of 16 schedule
Here are the other Leagues Cup matches in action on Tuesday night:
∎FC Cincinnati vs. Philadelphia Union, 7:30 p.m. ET (Apple TV)
∎Tigres UANL vs. New York City FC, 8 p.m. ET (Apple TV; FS1, UniMás)
∎Cruz Azul vs. Mazatlán, 8 p.m. ET (Apple TV)
∎Toluca FC vs. Colorado Rapids, 10 p.m. ET (Apple TV)
∎Club América vs. St. Louis CITY SC, 10:30 p.m. ET (Apple TV)
∎LAFC vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 10:30 p.m. ET (Apple TV)
∎Seattle Sounders FC 4, PUMAS UNAM 0
When is the Leagues Cup final?
The Leagues Cup final and third-place match will be on Aug. 25. The participants will be decided after the quarterfinals on Aug. 16-17, and the semifinals on Aug. 21.