Inter Miami CF face a 2-1 aggregate hole before Leg 2 of their Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal series, needing a historic performance Wednesday evening at CF Monterrey's Estadio BBVA to advance in the regional competition.
Watch
- English: FS1
- Spanish: TUDN
When
- Wednesday, April 10 | 10:30 pm ET/7:30 pm PT
Where
- Estadio BBVA | Guadalupe, Mexico
Should the reigning Leagues Cup champions pull off the spectacular, they'd meet reigning MLS Cup champions Columbus Crew for a CCC semifinal series in late April.
All remaining CCC participants have their sights set on the June 2 final. The winner qualifies for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup and the 2024 FIFA Intercontinental Cup, plus gets regional bragging rights and prize money.
- Round One: 7-1 aggregate vs. Comunicaciones (Guatemala)
- Round of 16: 3-1 aggregate vs. FC Cincinnati
After earning a 2-1 win last week at Chase Stadium, Monterrey are in the driver's seat for Wednesday's return leg. Second-half goals from Maxi Meza and Jorge Rodríguez proved decisive, pouncing on the opportunity afforded by David Ruiz's 65th-minute red card reducing Inter Miami to 10 men.
An interesting twist: If Rayados win a sixth all-time CCC title this year, it's actually the Philadelphia Union who qualify for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
How, you might ask? Head coach Fernando Ortiz's team has already qualified as 2021 CCC winners, and process of elimination means Philadelphia are next up in the FIFA rankings system. The Philadelphia Inquirer's Jonathan Tannenwald has a deeper breakdown of the details.
Suffice it to say, Union head coach Jim Curtin is rooting for former FC Cincinnati striker Brandon Vazquez and Monterrey to finish the job at home – and bounce back from a 2-1 defeat to Cruz Azul on the weekend. They've already shut the door on one MLS opponent this year in CCC, eliminating Cincy with a 2-1 Leg 2 victory in the Round of 16.
- Round One: Bye
- Round of 16: 5-3 aggregate vs. Nashville SC
Inter Miami clearly approached their Matchday 8 contest vs. the Colorado Rapids with an eye on this Leg 2 clash, entirely resting Luis Suárez. Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and Lionel Messi all appeared as second-half substitutes, with Messi's 1g/1a leading a 2-2 draw.
Messi's return was particularly noteworthy, recovering from a hamstring injury that caused him to miss Inter Miami's previous four matches. After a 45-minute appearance without setbacks, logic suggests the Argentine superstar could start – and the Herons will need the No. 10 at his best.
The brass tax: Since Monterrey got two away goals in Leg 1, Inter Miami need to at least match that in Leg 2 to advance. The Herons will chase the game, but also be wary of conceding even further.
Can Tata Martino's side pull it off?
