Inter Miami rallies to beat Necaxa on penalty kicks in Leagues Cup after Messi exits with injury

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Luis Suárez had the winning penalty kick, and Inter Miami rallied to beat Necaxa in the Leagues Cup on Saturday night after losing Lionel Messi to a hamstring injury in the opening minutes.

Jordi Alba had the tying goal on a header that made it 2-2 in the second minute of stoppage time to force the shootout, which Inter Miami won 5-4.

Inter Miami converted all five of its penalty kicks, and goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo denied Tomás Badaloni in the third round of the shootout. Suárez hit the winning shot into the top left corner.

Messi was injured around the eighth minute when he fell while being challenged by a pair of defenders near the penalty area. He walked slowly toward the Inter Miami bench before sitting down on the pitch. Trainers came out and worked on his right upper thigh area before he subbed out in the 11th.

Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said after the match that Messi was not necessarily in pain but felt a pull. He indicated that Messi will be examined on Sunday to determine the severity of the injury.

“There’s probably something there,” Mascherano said through an interpreter.

Inter Miami played down a man for much of regulation after Maxi Falcón was ejected with a red card in the opening minutes. Necaxa defender Cristian Calderón was sent off in the 60th after being shown a second yellow card, so both clubs played with 10 men the rest of the way.

Telasco Segovia put his side ahead 1-0 minute after Messi exited on a feed from Inter Miami newcomer Rodrigo De Paul, who had two assists in just his second match with the club. It was Segovia’s second goal of the tournament.

Badaloni tied it at 1 on a shot that he tapped past Ríos Novo to the bottom left corner in the 33rd.

Ricardo Monreal put the Mexican club ahead in the 81st before veteran left back Alba snapped a header into the back of the net on De Paul’s free kick.

Inter Miami won its first two Leagues Cup matches but can only advance if it has enough points in the tournament’s Major League Soccer standings. Saturday’s victory gave Inter Miami five points, and the Herons sit atop the MLS table, though there are several more matches that will be played the rest of the weekend.

The tournament is divided between teams from MLS and Liga MX. Only the top four teams in each league’s table after three matches will qualify for the knockout round.

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