Lionel Messi-less Inter Miami held a 2-0 lead but couldn't hold on as the Crew rallied to win 3-2
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Inter Miami crash out of 2024 Leagues CupMessi did not play, still recovering from injuryColumbus Crew advance to quarterfinalsUSA Today ImagesTELL ME MORE
Inter Miami were stunned by a relentless Columbus Crew side in a 3-2 come-from-behind win to book a ticket to the Leagues Cup semifinals.
It's another gutsy win for Columbus that has come to define the Wilfried Nancy era as manager.
Despite missing Lionel Messi, who is still recovering from an ankle injury sustained during the Copa America, Miami dominated the opening 63 minutes of the match. The opened the scoring just 10 minutes into the contest as Paraguayan winger Matias Rojas bagged his fourth goal of the tournament. After a slow end to the first half, Tata Martino's side doubled its lead midway through the second half through Diego Gomez in the 63rd minute.
Then, the tides turned.
The Crew scored twice in the following seven minutes to level the match, with Christian Ramirez banging a header home in the 67th minute and Diego Rossi thumping home another goal in the 69th minute to draw level.
With momentum on their side, Rossi added a second and Columbus' third in the 81st minute to complete their sensational comeback.
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The Crew and Miami clashed in the middle of June that saw the Herons earn three points in a narrow 2-1 victory at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Goals from Ian Fray and Leonardo Campana saw them over the line.
This time around, though, the Crew got the best of their Eastern Conference counterparts.
THE MVP
Diego Rossi:
Rossi came alive in the second half with the introduction of striker Christian Ramirez at halftime. The former U.S. international allowed the Columbus winger to stretch the width of the pitch, and with it, came goals.
Rossi bagged the second and third for the Crew, both incredibly clinical finishes. The Uruguayan attacker was absolutely sensational over the final 45 minutes, and changed the course of the match with his threat in and around the box.
USA Today ImagesTHE BIG LOSER
Martino:
' manager's choices throughout the second half with substitutions were baffling. After the Crew earned a goal back, he brought on Julian Gressel, but they conceded again just minutes later and no changes followed.
After Columbus' third, Ian Fray, Benjamin Cremaschi and Leo Campana were introduced, but the changes were far too late. It was incredibly poor second half management from the Argentine manager.
He had a two-goal advantage, but failed to adjust to the tempo of the match, and as a result, they crashed out.