Messi and Suarez shutdown: How LAFC manhandled Inter Miami's star duo | OneFootball

Lionel Messi has played on turf and on grass. He has started and he has come off the bench. He has braved tropical weather and the frigid Midwestern winter. And every time he's set foot on a pitch in 2025, he's found a way to either score or assist a goal.

Until Wednesday night.

Messi was left without his a goal contribution for the first time in seven appearances this year, and teammate Luis Suarez was also kept off the scoresheet as LAFC earned a 1-0 victory over Inter Miami in Leg 1 of their Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals.

But unfortunate for the rest of MLS and the Concacaf region, LAFC manager Steve Cherundolo said postgame that there weren't any secret tactics the Black-and-Gold employed to accomplish the feat, just a high work rate and a lot of cooperation.

"Those guys are going to get a chance or two," Cherundolo said. "And the only way to defend players of that quality and teams of that quality is with a collective effort. And I think our collective effort, and getting numbers around their players in the critical areas was important. And we did a good job tonight."

'In control without the ball'

Messi and Suarez combined for eight of Miami's 10 total shots, but with only two of those requiring a save from LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. And perhaps what LAFC did best in their effort to limit that tandem was to not make alterations to their normal game model, playing in their standard 4-3-3, applying pressure in numbers, and worrying more about quality of possession than quantity.

"For the most part, we had things in control without the ball," Cherundolo said. "It’s how we like it."

Cherundolo had particular praise for center backs Eddie Segura and Aaron Long, a pairing who once both had regular international operations.

"Both center backs were great," Cherundolo said. "Eddie stepping into the pocket at times when their players are kind of in between our lines, he did a good job of his decision making and playing aggressive while at the same time protecting the space in behind. Aaron much of the same. And both tried to play out of the back as well, and we were able to play out of some pressure moments."

It was an excellent defensive performance from a team that has proven capable of that on several occasions this season. But when it has gone bad in the back, it has gone very bad, such as in a 5-2 league defeat at Seattle on MLS Matchday 3 or a 3-2 loss at San Diego last weekend.

That said, LAFC now has a little bit of margin for defensive error thanks to the away goals rule. Even a defeat of 2-1, 3-2 or 4-3 at the Herons in Leg 2 would see them advance thanks to a superior away goals total.