FIFA Club World Cup
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Lionel Messi and Inter Miami have ultimately booked their place in the FIFA Club World Cup knockout stage, but they’re left to wonder what could have been after letting a chance to win their group slip away.
Inter Miami blew a 2-0 lead to Brazil’s Palmeiras at Hard Rock Stadium Monday night, conceding goals in the 80th and 87th minutes and settling for a 2-2 draw. Instead of securing a knockout clash with Botafogo, Miami will instead have the daunting task of facing reigning UEFA Champions League winner PSG on Sunday afternoon in Atlanta – a reunion for Messi with his former club.
Nevertheless, after seeing its two other MLS counterparts, LAFC and Seattle, get eliminated, Miami continued carrying the flag for the league by advancing, which was far from a given after opening the competition with a 0-0 draw vs. Al Ahly.
Tadeo Allende (16th minute) and Luis Suárez (65th) scored on either side of halftime for Miami, which capitulated in the closing stages and had to make do with a single point after goals from Paulinho and Mauricio. By forcing the draw, Palmeiras wound up topping the group via tiebreaker, with the absolutely wild simultaneous Group A contest between Porto and Al Ahly (a 4-4 draw at MetLife Stadium) ending with the elimination of both those sides.
