An Argentine attacker can hide another. We were expecting Lionel Messi, back as a starter after a month of injury. It was finally German Berterame who stood out for Monterrey with a superb goal from a long shot which allowed the locals to win 3-1 after having already won the first leg in Miami (2-1).
Superior in all areas, Monterrey was barely worried by Inter Miami who finished the match at 10 after the exclusion of Jordi Alba, Messi’s former teammate at Barcelona, in the 78th minute. Qualified for the semi-finals of the Concacaf Champions League, the main regional club competition in North, Central America and the Caribbean, Monterrey will face the Columbus Crew of French coach Wilfried Nancy, who beat André-Pierre Gignac’s Tigres .
Mexican teams dominate the competition
“Until MLS relaxes its rules to allow teams to have larger rosters and makes it so difficult to replace players in the event of injury or suspension, Mexican teams will continue to have an advantage” , estimated Tata Martino, the Miami coach, also taking refuge behind salary and budgetary restrictions in the United States to explain this elimination.
Indeed, the competition has always been largely dominated by Mexican teams. Since 2006, only one American team has finished victorious, with the other editions having been won by their Central American counterparts.
