Miraculous Comeback : Messi & Cremaschi Lead Miami To Victory Over Dallas & On To Leagues’ Cup Quarterfinals

Toyota Stadium- Benjamin Cremaschi kicked the game-winning penalty in shootouts to seal a miraculous comeback for Inter Miami CF against FC Dallas Sunday night in a Round of Sixteen Leagues Cup matchup. Lionel Messi netted his third consecutive brace including a dramatic game-tying free kick in the 85′ minute to take the game to penalty kicks.

Kick Off

Tata Martino inserted Jordi Alba and Diego Gomez into the Starting XI for the first time, with Noah Allen and Benjamin Cremaschi going to the bench. Alba and Gomez debuted the previous week against Orlando City, coming on as second-half substitutes.

Starting XI #InterMiamiCF 🆚 #FCDallas…Gomez & Alba get the start… Allen & Cremaschi go to the bench…Must say I’m surprised about Cremaschi…Thought he had earned his spot… #MLS #LeaguesCup2023 #Messi pic.twitter.com/7E88YNVRP3

— Xavier Guerrero (@XGLAVOZ) August 7, 2023

Lionel Messi scored 6′ minutes into the match, finishing a Jordi Alba cross with a pinpoint strike past Dallas goalkeeper Maarten Paes to give Inter Miami the early 1-0 lead.

Lionel #Messi scores again!! 6’ minutes into the match 🆚#FCDallas the Goat 🐐 places a left-footed shot into goal after a wonderful buildup…That is greatness…#InterMiamiCF  leads 1-0…#LeaguesCup2023 https://t.co/Ez4LVtjh5k

— Xavier Guerrero (@XGLAVOZ) August 7, 2023

Miami had the lead, but Dallas had control of the match with quick counterattacks and dangerous crosses into the Heron box. FC Dallas was finally able to get on the scoreboard with a Facundo Quignon clinical strike off a bouncing cross from Marco Farfan in the 37′ minute. The goal boosted an energetic squad to venture for another score before the end of the half.

Dallas scores from a cross into the box…these crosses have been #InterMiamiCF  Achilles heel all season…1-1 #MLS #LeaguesCup2023 https://t.co/EJexBSGDnm

— Xavier Guerrero (@XGLAVOZ) August 7, 2023

A lethal counterattack by Jesus Ferreira and Bernard Kamungo gave Dallas the 2-1 lead in the 45′ minute. Ferreira received a slicing pass from Alan Velasco and pushed into the Miami box, dropping off a short pass to Kamungo. Bernard faked Miami defender Kamal Miller to the inside, then cut outside shooting the ball past a diving Drake Callender.

Dallas scores the go ahead goal after a lethal counterattack…2-1 #FCDallas #InterMiamiCF  #MLS #LeaguesCup2023 https://t.co/69YZkWDvyA

— Xavier Guerrero (@XGLAVOZ) August 7, 2023

The second half began much like the first ended, with Dallas pressuring high and dictating the action despite having less ball possession. Dallas would break through again in the 63′ minute with an Alan Velasco free kick goal. The goal looked more like a cross into the box, but a complicated bounce and a crowd of players in front of Drake Callender seemed to have made the goalkeeper lose track of the ball. FC led 3-1 with less than thirty minutes left in regulation time.

We love our Argentine Winger. pic.twitter.com/W1wOS3wxS9

— FC Dallas (@FCDallas) August 7, 2023

Tata Martino took action and brought in Benjamin Cremaschi for Diego Gomez, and the substitution would pay off instantly. Cremaschi smashed in a Jordi Alba cross on his first touch one minute after coming onto the pitch. The goal gave Miami hope and life, 3-2 Dallas.

Cremaschi!!!!!! First touch is a Goooollll…Puts a Jordi Alba pass into the Dallas goal…Benja should have never been on the bench in my eyes…3-2 Dallas leads…#InterMiamiCF  #MLS #LeaguesCup2023 https://t.co/UUuSoyqRps

— Xavier Guerrero (@XGLAVOZ) August 7, 2023

The joy would be shortlived as Robert Taylor slid an own goal past Drake Callender for the 4-2 Dallas lead in the 68′ minute. Taylor was making a defensive hustle play and was just extremely unlucky.

Robert Taylor 🫢

(via @FCDallas)

pic.twitter.com/ZWQ7J8gRj1

— B/R Football (@brfootball) August 7, 2023

Martino went into all out offensive mode at the 75′ minute when he brought in Robbie Robinson and Leonardo Campana for Deandre Yedlin and Josef Martinez respectively. The towering young attackers brought pace and fortitude to the Miami attack forcing Dallas to defend on their own side of the pitch.

Miami caught a break when Marco Farfan headed a Lionel Messi free kick cross into his own goal in the 80′ minute. The score rattled Dallas and had Inter Miami believing in a miracle finale.

Things get even more interesting… Messi whips the free kick in, and it’s an own goal header with power from Marco Farfan to match Taylor’s OG from minutes ago. Game is still in the balance…#DTID 4-3 #InterMiamiCF pic.twitter.com/5yxu5vR5bW

— MLS NETWORK (@mlsnetwork) August 7, 2023

The miracle came at the feet of the miraculous Lionel Messi. The Goat lined up to take a free kick just outside the Dallas box, with a packed stadium and millions watching at home, Lionel the thaumaturge did it again! GOLAZO to tie the game in the 85′ minute and send the stadium into a frenzy; yes because even in Texas Messi played at home.

MESSI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GOLAZOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! Free kick to tie the match 4-4… The GOAT 🐐 does it again…He truly is out of this world…What a game!!! #Messi𓃵 #MLS #InterMiamiCF  #LeaguesCup2023 https://t.co/3lk3eQTBB1

— Xavier Guerrero (@XGLAVOZ) August 7, 2023

The match ended in a tie and would be decided on a penalty kick shoot out, where Inter Miami came out victorious with 18 year old Benjamin Cremaschi nailing the final kick for the Herons. A masterpiece of a match that showed the character and perserverance of Tata Martino’s squad.

Cold blooded 18 yr old Benjamin Cremaschi…Special moment in his young career…#MLS #InterMiamiCF #LeaguesCup2023 #Messi𓃵 https://t.co/Kgn0gqRlXc

— Xavier Guerrero (@XGLAVOZ) August 7, 2023

Postgame Press Conference

Inter Miami was down 4-2 with less than half an hour to go in the match and it seemed they would not get out of Texas alive in the Leagues Cup tournament. The team didn’t flinch and kept fighting until tying the game and then winning the match in penalty kicks shoot-out, showing resiliency and character. Coach Tata Martino talked precisely about the character the squad displayed versus FC Dallas,

In any team character is important, I think we had it today.We made many mistakes, but we showed character and that gave us a chance…

FC Dallas played a wonderful match against Miami, but the Herons never wavered or stopped believing in a victory. It takes talent and character to be a championship team and Miami showed it has both. They move on to the next challenge in Leagues Cup.

Final Thoughts

The game Sunday night versus FC Dallas was an instant classic for Inter Miami. Anyone watching that match was glued to the television in suspense wondering what would happen next. Two own goals, one by each team, a Messi brace, and a young rising talent sealing the win for the Herons. It’s the type of game that the fans of the winning side can put on replay the whole week until the next match.

Benjamin Cremaschi, the rising young talent that sealed the victory should have never been on the bench to begin with. Cremaschi had a very solid game the previous week against Orlando City and was stringing together good performances. The coach opted for Diego Gomez who had just arrived on the team and is a young talent as well.

Call me old school, but unless it’s a superstar like Lionel Messi or a proven veteran like Jordi Alba, new players need to earn their spot on the starting eleven. It just felt like Martino made it too easy for Gomez and overlooked the fine play of Cremaschi all throughout the season. Regardless, Martino corrected in time and Miami won, Let’s see who starts the next match.

Lionel Messi has been worth every penny and effort the organization made to bring him to Inter Miami. Messi truly is the best player in the world, and anyone attributing his amazing statistics to a poor MLS league needs to go back and review his 2012 calendar year when he scored 91 goals against the best teams in the world. Lionel Messi has done this all throughout his spectacular career against any and all competition. What is truly amazing is that at age 36 he still maintains his out-of-this-world form and that the Goat wears rosa negro.

Photo Credit: Inter Miami CF