3 months ago
1
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami got disconnected to a unsmooth commencement successful their MLS Cup rubric defence erstwhile David Martínez, Denis Bouanga and Nathan Ordaz scored successful Los Angeles FC (LAFC)’s 3-0 triumph connected Saturday nighttime (February 21, 2026).
Son Heung-min acceptable up Martínez’s opening extremity for LAFC, which emphasised its presumption arsenic a superior menace to Miami’s crown during a lively MLS play opener betwixt 2 of the league’s marquee clubs.
The matchup drew 75,673 fans — the second-largest assemblage successful MLS past — to the historical Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which is adjacent doorway to LAFC’s home, BMO Stadium.
“This crippled would person sold retired 5 times astatine BMO, but we wanted to bash thing special,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber said. “This is simply a seminal twelvemonth successful the past of our athletics and a large infinitesimal successful the past of our league, truthful wherefore not spell into this historical stadium, bring Miami here, our champion, and person them play against LAFC?”
The immense assemblage got an entertaining lucifer and a bully look astatine Messi, who played contempt dealing with a strained hamstring this month. His each determination was greeted with cheers and boos by the California fans.
The superstar is inactive moving retired his dynamic with his caller teammates, however: The Herons mislaid Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba to status and added guardant Germán Berterame and elite MLS goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair, whose positioning mistake greatly simplified Bouanga’s goal.
LAFC won for caput manager Marc Dos Santos successful his MLS debut arsenic the 3rd caput manager successful nine history. The erstwhile Vancouver caput manager and long-time LAFC adjunct led his squad to a 6-1 triumph implicit Real España earlier this week successful its CONCACAF Champions Cup opener successful Honduras.
LAFC went up successful the 38th infinitesimal erstwhile Son controlled the shot successful postulation and slotted a cleanable walk to Martínez, who recovered the acold bottommost country successful stride. The 20-year-old Martínez has started his MLS vocation slowly, but LAFC remains assured the Venezuelan guardant volition beryllium a star.
Bouanga had a chapeau instrumentality successful CONCACAF Champions Cup play earlier this week, and helium added his archetypal MLS extremity of the play successful the 73rd minute. The Frenchman, who finished 2nd to Messi successful the Golden Boot contention past season, converted a agelong walk from Timothy Tillman, adroitly heading it implicit the charging St. Clair earlier banging it home.
LAFC added a 3rd extremity successful second-half wounded clip erstwhile Ordaz converted a centring walk from Bouanga.
LAFC improved to 4-2-0 against Miami successful the clubs’ history. LAFC besides remained unbeaten successful its play openers, improving to 9-0-0.
Inter Miami: At Orlando connected Sunday (March 1, 2026).
LAFC: Host Real España successful the 2nd limb of the CONCACAF Champions Cup connected Tuesday (February 24, 2026).
