Orlando City SC finally lost a 2025 Leagues Cup match. In the wake, Inter Miami CF advanced to the league final.
Inter Miami CF lost twice to Orlando City SC for the first time in MLS competition this year. But in Leagues Cup play, the Lions lost 3-1 to them.
As a result, Miami heads to the Leagues Cup final. Yet Orlando City still has a chance to earn a spot in the Concacaf Champions Cup by earning third place.
The Miami scores included a brace by team Captain Lionel Messi and midfielder Telasco Segovia in a comeback victory. That was Segovia’s third goal in the competition. He was a second-half substitute.
Orlando went to the locker room after the first half feeling positive. Near halftime, winger Marco Pasalic caught a loose ball in the Miami box and put it in the net for the opening score of the match. That is his 14th score of the season across all competitions and second of the Leagues Cup.
It was his third score against Miami this season.
The Lions held onto their 1-0 lead until the 77th minute. That’s when defender David Brekalo was charged with a foul inside the box, earning him a second yellow card. The team went down a man. Lionel Messi got the first of Miami’s three scores on the resulting penalty kick.
The second and third scores were assisted by Jordi Alba and Luis Suarez respectively.
Orlando City is still in the Leagues Cup. They left the pitch awaiting the result of the match on Thursday. They will face the loser of the LA Galaxy-Seattle Sounders FC match to determine which team is in third place in the 2025 Leagues Cup.
Winning that would put Orlando City SC in the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup. This competition would pit the Lions against top competitors from across North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. They’d hone not only their soccer, but also keep playing hard and smart while working to avoid those tough penalties.