Monterrey hands Champions Cup soccer loss to Inter Miami; Messi misses game - UPI.com

On Wednesday, Monterrey's midfield player Maximiliano Meza (R) showcased his dribbling skills against Inter Miami at the Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Cristobal Herrera-Ulashkevich/EPA-EFE captured this moment in a photograph.

On April 4th, Monterrey successfully came back from a losing position to beat Inter Miami in the Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals. This was achieved with two goals scored in the second half of the game. Unfortunately for Inter Miami fans, they had to play without their top goalscorer, Lionel Messi, in this match.

Maximiliano Meza and Jorge Rodriguez, who played in midfield positions, managed to score for the Mexican club during their win on Wednesday at Chase Stadium located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The final score was 2-1.

The Herons managed to secure a goal thanks to defender Tomas Aviles, despite the fact that they were left with only 10 players towards the end of the match due to a red card.

According to reports, Tata Martino, the Herons' manager, stated that Monterrey is a team that demands a high level of energy to play effectively. However, they were unable to maintain their performance during the last 20 minutes of the game due to having only 10 players on the field.

In the 19th minute of the match, Aviles made the first goal. Julian Gressel, a forward from Germany, initiated the game from a corner kick. The ball floated towards the box, and Aviles leaped in to hit the ball with his right foot, sending it past Monterrey's goalkeeper, Esteban Andrada.

The Herons faced a setback in the 65th minute as their right wing David Ruiz received a red card for earning his second yellow card, forcing them to play with 10 men.

Shortly after, Meza managed to net a goal, securing an equal score in the 69th minute of the game, surpassing the Herons' goalie, Drake Callender. Callender had previously blocked an initial corner kick. Nonetheless, Meza persisted and managed to score from the left side in the aftermath of the blocked attempt.

After a Herons error in their own area, Meza helped Rodriguez score the winning point in the 89th minute. Meza found the loose ball and swiftly passed it to Rodriguez, who then made a perfect finish with a 20-yard shot into the right side of the goalpost.

At 7:30 p.m. EDT on Saturday, the Herons are scheduled to hold an MLS game against the Colorado Rapids which will take place at Chase Stadium. After that, they will travel to Guadalupe, Mexico to face-off Monterrey for the second leg of their quarterfinal on Wednesday at 10:30 p.m.

Martino stated that Messi had a possibility of participating on Wednesday, but later on expressed to reporters that it was too precarious for him to play against Monterrey. Messi has been struggling with a hamstring injury and has not been in action since March 13th.

Martino stated that Messi's condition is improving gradually, and they will assess his status again in preparation for the upcoming game against Colorado and the second match against Monterrey next week.