3 Ways Inter Miami Can Overcome Vancouver Whitecaps in Concacaf Champions Cup | OneFootball

Inter Miami CF have a monumental task on their hands against Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Wednesday night.

After losing the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal 2–0 in Vancouver, the Herons will need to score at least three goals to advance to their first continental final. Should Vancouver score once, Miami would need to score four–– something they’ve done only once this season.

Head coach Javier Mascherano rested many of the key players in Saturday’s 4–3 loss to FC Dallas, leaving Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba out of the squad, while also resting starting goalkeeper Oscar Ustari, making sure they are all in peak form for Wednesday.

Miami got their comeback against LAFC after losing the first leg of the quarterfinal. Can they do it again against the MLS-leading Whitecaps?

Here’s how they’ll have to do it.

La Remontada: Episode Two

Mascherano and his four former FC Barcelona superstars know a thing or two about Champions League comebacks. Back in 2017, all were involved in Barcelona’s 6–1 win over Paris Saint-Germain to overturn a 4–0 deficit from the first game. Messi and Suarez both scored in that match, which still ranks as one of the best ever in the Catalan club’s storied history.

While Miami don’t need to overturn such a deficit, moments of brilliance from Messi and their best players will be critical. The Whitecaps showed that they will clog the midfield and force Miami to win challenges and second balls, a trait few other teams have shown in MLS this season.

According to FB Ref, the Whitecaps have 246 tackles and interceptions in MLS play, well above Inter Miami's 212, and that was evident in the first leg, with the Whitecaps winning nearly every second ball on a 50-50 challenge.

In 2017, Barcelona showed an unparalleled hunger to play a perfect match, and they executed it to near perfection. For Miami, it’s going to take much of the same form, given how Vancouver is playing and how the first leg went down.

Yannick Bright, Fafa Picault start

Fafa Picault made an impact as a starter for Inter Miami CF against FC Dallas this weekend / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Yannick Bright and Fafa Picault both played key roles in a positive first half for Miami against Dallas on Sunday, showcasing a different skillset that Miami lacked in the first leg against Vancouver.

In midfield, Bright is a more two-way ball progressor and someone who can allow Busquets to play slightly deeper, while taking on much of the attacking responsibility. While it’s a tactic that may not work in a purely defensive setup, and Busquets can be paired with Federico Redondo, it could offer a more balanced effort as the Herons look to break down the midfield trio of Pedro Vite, Andrés Cubas, and Sebastián Berhalter.

Meanwhile, Fafa Picault brings pace and agility to the wide midfield area, and points to match up well with Vancouver’s fullbacks, 19-year-old Tate Johnson, or Canadian international Sam Adekugbe, who has recently returned from injury.

Although neither guarantees any attacking contributions, it would offer a different look against a Vancouver defense which had game-planned for what Miami offered in Leg 1.

Messi Moments of Magic

Lionel Messi is no stranger to delivering a big moment in important games / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

With 45 career trophies, Lionel Messi knows how to make an impact under the most pressure. All eyes will no doubt be on him on Wednesday night, and the Whitecaps will swarm him with everything they’ve got.

Yet, the 37-year-old Argentine was not far off from scoring a goal or two in the first leg, sending a free kick ricocheting off a wall, and dribbling through defenders to get a shot on target. While he may not be the player he was at his peak, or even at the FIFA World Cup 2022 with Argentina, he’s still the biggest difference-maker in the sport.

Few have made a career of being better than Messi, and a game like Wednesday’s is precisely the moment for him to step up and write another memorable chapter in an already historic career.