LOS ANGELES -- In a tightly contested affair, LAFC came out on top over Inter Miami, 1-0, to take the advantage through one leg in the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champion's Cup. With the victory, they ended an
The lone score came from 21-year-old Nathan Ordaz, who drilled one past Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari in the 57th minute to break the tie.
The turn ↪️
— LAFC (@LAFC) April 3, 2025
The shot 🚀
Nathan Ordaz delivers on the biggest stage.pic.twitter.com/tONEcpCYLD
It was his second goal in CONCACAF play as the forward also contributed a score in a 3-0 victory over Colombus Crew on March 4.
The goal will go down as a controversial one for Ordaz, who remained in the game after being hit with a yellow card for striking the face of Miami defender Maxi Falcón as the two got tied up. With a solid case for a red card to be called, Ordaz ultimately avoided the worst-case scenario and went on to make the difference.
Hugo Lloris did a nice job defending the net for Los Angeles against Leo Messi and the rest of the Miami attack, making three saves and earning the shutout. It was the first time in four games that Messi failed to find the net as well as his first scoreless game in CONCACAF play despite five shot attempts.
The 37-year-old had numerous free-kick chances, including some dangerous attempts in the first half and one final look in the 95th minute. He ultimately sailed the last-chance shot above the net as Los Angeles hung on and took the 1-0 aggregate lead in front of the home crowd.
LAFC will battle Miami in the second leg next Wednesday in Miami as they look to cling onto their slim 1-0 lead and advance to the semifinal round. If they manage to advance, they will play the winner of the matchup between the Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS) and Pumas (Liga MX).
In the meantime, Los Angeles will return to MLS play on Saturday as they travel to Houston for a match against the 14th-place Dynamo. Houston is 0-2-4 this year and will seek to get in the win column for the first time in 2025.