A sold-out crowd braved chilly skies and a late-night kickoff to watch Lionel Messi, a soccer legend, play Wednesday night at BMO Stadium. But what many fans went home talking about was the play of LAFC Academy product Nathan Ordaz, whose goal in the second half was the difference in LAFC's 1-0 win over Inter Miami in the first game of a two-leg CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinal playoff.
The teams will meet next Wednesday in South Florida with aggregate goals determining which will advance to the semifinals. LAFC reached the final of the CONCACAF tournament in its first two appearances, making it the only MLS club to play for the title twice this century.
LAFC drew less than 25,000 combined for its first two Champions Cup games with Colorado and Columbus. It drew nearly that many — 22,207 — for Miami. And many of those fans dutifully rose to their feet and lifted their phones each time Messi stood over the ball.
But it was the 21-year-old Ordaz, who was playing for LAFC’s developmental team last year, who stole the show, lining a low, right-footed shot from outside the box just inside the near post in the 57th minute.
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The sequence started with Mark Delgado sending a pass to the foot of Ordaz, who spun away from Miami midfielder Sergio Busquets and charged forward unmarked. Ordaz then pulled up about 25 yards from the goal and sent a shot past defender Maximiliano Falcón and into the back of the net.
Ordaz and Falcón had tangled midway through the first half of the chippy game with Ordaz apparently making contact with Falcón’s face, sending him to the turf. But after a lengthy video review, referee Oshane Nation ignored Miami’s pleas for a red card and flashed a yellow at Ordaz, allowing him to continue.
LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo also allowed Ordaz to continue rather than pulling him at halftime, and Ordaz rewarded that confidence with the only goal.
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The last time Messi faced LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, he was putting three shots past him in Argentina’s penalty-kick victory over France in the 2022 World Cup final. This time Messi spent most of the game walking around the field, conserving his energy and favoring a low-grade adductor injury in his left leg. He put two shots on target, a 37th-minute free kick that Lloris saved easily and a left-footed shot from just outside the box in the 86th minute that one-hopped Lloris, who had to scramble to his knees to collect the rebound.
Lloris made just one other save on the night.
Messi had one final chance five minutes into stoppage ...
