LAFC vs Miami | 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup | Quarterfinals

The spotlight shines on Hollywood tonight for a blockbuster quarterfinal in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. It is the first leg between LAFC and Inner Miami. It's another star-studded, marquee night in the region. And it is live. It's Hollywood vs. Vice City, 90 minutes tonight, 90 or more next week for a spot in the Continental Final Four. We are in motion in Los Angeles in the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinal first leg. Over the top to the edge of the 18, Ustadi out of his area, uses his head and uses it well. Chops it away from one, Messi, cut back inside, now Suarez goes down, free kick, Inner Miami. Lionel Messi over the bar. You always expect him to hit the target. It's always a surprise when he doesn't. And Buanga faces up Lujan, Buanga onto his right, and his shot was blocked down. Ustadi, and there's options here for LAFC. And weaving to the top of the 18, heavy tackle by Yannick Bright, but he got the ball, and play on, says the referee. Lionel Messi. Hugo Lloris. This is what Inner Miami don't want, Buanga running at Lujan, and it's redirected just wide. It is a quick, as it came off Alba last. Pass was just a little bit behind him. Buanga, who touches it down to himself, and takes on and beats Falcone, Denis Buanga saved by Ustadi. And turns it to him, a little bit heavy, but Segovia now. Messi heading it on, Suarez, first time, too high, and that will probably do it for the first half. There is the halftime whistle. It's been tense, it's been cagey. It will be Inner Miami to kick things off in the second half. In the pink, they attack from right to left, we're back underway in this first leg, with Buanga, who skips around Gonzalo Lujan, and skips around a second, and then feeds one through, and a body tumbles over, it's still loose, and then hacked away. Here's Messi, between the lines, feeding it through towards Suarez, but there comes Lloris. Timothy Tillman, Ordaz, and the overlapping run down the left, Hollingshead, poor cross. Probably LAFC, and they have a chance here on the run, Ordaz could be through, heavy first touch, Ordaz has to carry it wide, chops it back, Falcone the touch, Tillman against a body, Allen with a crucial block, turning away from Busquets, and striking! What a moment, 1-0 LAFC in the quarterfinal. Buanga and Under around it. It's Under with the lefts, good ball in, it's just over the bar, and they continue to give the ball away, Inner Miami, and here's Buanga, in space, Buanga cuts it back, Ordaz, under, in the turn, it's blocked, second ball, blocked on the line, shouts for a handball, not given, it stays 1-0, Ordaz has Buanga to his left, Buanga returns to Ordaz, lost his momentum as the ball was behind him, Tillman now, it's Tillman wide. Here's LAFC a bit, and here's Messi, Lionel Messi, Suarez, brought it along for Alba, and Alba, Messi, chests it down, it ran away from him, and it comes to Suarez, deflected wide, here's Messi, trying to change things, Messi, edge of the box, Lionel Messi, fumbled but regathered by Hugo Lloris, corner, he keeps it in play for Alba, and Alba swings it across near post, and it bounces on Lloris, who gathers it in, staring it down, in the final seconds of this quarterfinal first leg, it's Lionel Messi, and it's over the bar, and it may be over for tonight, and it looks like Inter-Miami will be down a goal, going back home next week, and there's full time, and the first act in this two-part drama belongs to Los Angeles, but it still comes to a cliffhanger end, it's LAFC on tap after 90 minutes in Hollywood.