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Porto is going full Man City and taking their time coming out from the locker room after half-time. Miami is out, standing around. Second half presumably due to start soon.
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Reader Michael has a second-half wishlist:
I’d like to see Messi score a goal and get a red card while wearing Maxi’s wig please.
This is the *real* perfect hat-trick, if you ask me.
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Reader Peter, always one for a pun, gets in touch:
That Porto midfield trio (Vieira, Veiga, Varela) should sign for Dutch club VVV Venlo.
Please excuse me while I cue up the V for Vendetta soundtrack.
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What do you want to see out of the second half?
A Messi goal? A red card? A stunning reveal that Maxi Falcón has been wearing a wig this whole time?! Let me know – link to my email is above.
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Halftime!
The teams head into the locker rooms with Porto up 1-0. Miami had their chances, and will feel unlucky not to at least be level. Porto, though, seems to be playing the game at a comfortable pace. It’ll be interesting to see how much urgency Miami shows to open the second half. Til then, it’s time for snacks.
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44 min: Post! Varela lashes a shot from 25 yards out that cannons off the post and nearly goes back in over the goal-line by ricocheting off Ustari’s back. The Miami goalkeeper found the ball and gathered it, though. What an effort.
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43 min: Samu nearly had one of the individual goals of the tournament. The striker gathered the ball at midfield, saw one defender in front of him, and sprinted towards goal, nudging his defender aside, but Ustari was equal to the effort and made the save.
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39 min: A chance! A minor scuffle! Porto breaks free on the left, Samu holds off the defense to lay it off to Rodrigo Mora, whose attempt on goal from inside the penalty spot is cleared off the line by Maximiliano Falcón!
Afterward, there’s some pushing and shoving. Let’s see if that pushes the temperature of this one up a bit.
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35 min: A chance for Miami! This time the danger comes from the left side, with a cross that snakes through a handful of bodies in the box before finding an onrushing Cremaschi in space. The young American’s attempt on goal is once again blocked by Claudio Ramos – the Porto goalkeeper is having a very good game so far.
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32 min: This game has felt strangely flat. Not a whole lot of energy from either side, which doesn’t make much sense considering this game is taking place indoors, so heat isn’t an issue. Messi just picked up the ball about 70 yards from goal, assessed his options, and attempted the most ambitious on-the-ground through ball of all time, which was easily recovered. Been that kind of afternoon.
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27 min: Messi again finds a window in the right half-space, but his lofted ball goes straight to the goalkeeper. Everything good, perhaps unsurprisingly, is going through Messi right now for Miami.
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22 min: Miami once against finds a bit of space behind the Porto backline, but Weigandt can’t control the service from Segovia. Miami may be down, but they’ve found a strategy that’s working. Just a degree or two more quality needed.
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19 min: I am clearly a tactical genius. Just as I hit send on that last update, Inter Miami won possession after sitting back, then immediately went on the front foot with Messi leading the counter. The Argentine found Luis Suárez bearing down on the goalkeeper, but the Uruguayan had his shot blocked and gathered by Claudio Ramos.
That’s about as ideal a situation as Miami could want for their game plan. No goal.
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18 min: Out of possession, Inter Miami seems content to sit back and not engage with Porto until well after they cross midfield. In possession, though, they’re streaming forward and attacking the wide areas. That is, when they’re not counterattacking.
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14 min: Weigandt and Samu getting into minor blows now after a clash near the sideline. Just a couple of dudes jostling.
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Updated at 15.17 EDT
9 min: The Miami bench is frustrated, partly because of the call (it was a bit soft, but correct by the letter of the law), and partly because they feel a throw-in was taken before the officials paused the match to do the VAR review.
The referee is having a conversation with the Miami bench and manager Javier Mascherano. It does not look like a pleasant one.
Either way, it doesn’t matter now. Miami had the better of the opening moments, and now they’re behind.
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Goal! Inter Miami 0-1 Porto (Aghehowa, 8)
Samu Aghehowa ends up taking over PK responsibilities, and his low effort to Ustari’s right just barely sneaks through the goalkeeper’s dive.
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Penalty!
7 min: After a VAR review, it’s a penalty! Noah Allen did indeed get a piece of João Mário on his run into the box, and is adjudged to have tripped him.
Rodrigo Mora to take. Ustari saved a PK last game…
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6 min: …Penalty? Maybe! We have a VAR review for some contact between Noah Allen and João Mário in the box.
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4 min: Messi involved again, this time latching on to a bouncing ball in midfield, slotting a through ball for Suárez that has just a bit too much on it, allowing Ramos to gather it easily.
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2 min: A chance! Already! Lionel Messi finds a spot in the right half-space, and lofts a perfect diagonal ball over the backline to Luis Suárez. Suarez’s attempt is saved, and he is later called offside. An early statement from Miami.
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We are underway!
And I gotta be honest…it’s very weird seeing those Miami pink kits play v non-MLS opposition at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
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Reader Mike gets in touch with an astute observation:
Porto’s midfield – Vieira, Veiga and Varela – is a proper challenge for whichever unfortunate broadcaster DAZN have roped in for tonight!
Fortunately, Dazn’s commentator in English for this one is none other than the legend, Andrés Cantor. I think he can handle it.
Alongside him is Brian Dunseth, one of my personal favorites of the American analysts you’re likely to hear on MLS and US national team broadcasts.
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Reader Justin gets in touch:
I’d imagine that the players of Inter Miami (and LAFC and the Sounders) will be doing everything in their power to AVOID winning this tournament now, which would surely lead to a summons to the White House by His MAGAsty. Messi would surely rather miss the deciding penalty against Brazil in next year’s World Cup Final than go through what those poor Juventus boys did yesterday.
I know it’s hyperbole, but I doubt this! Weird experiences with the US president are temporary, titles are forever. (I think).
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Elsewhere in Group A…
Palmeiras is now leading Al Ahly 2-0 with the clock rapidly approaching 90 minutes (the teams are still playing thanks to a lightning delay that paused proceedings in the second half).
The result puts the Brazilian side provisionally on top of Group A, and should really increase the urgency for both Miami and Porto to get a result this afternoon. A win would establish a clear hierarchy in the group, putting the victor in great position to qualify for the knockout round.
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How did Messi and Inter Miami do last time out?
Very badly for the first half, and slightly better in the second. Barney Ronay wrote on the opening match of the Club World Cup, a 0-0 draw between Miami and Al Ahly.
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Porto’s starters
Fifa lists Porto as coming out in a 5-3-2, presumably with João Mário and Francisco Moura as the wingbacks.
Goalkeeper: Claudio Ramos
Defenders: João Mário, Ivan Marcano, Martim Fernandes, Ze Pedro, Francisco Moura
Midfielders: Fabio Vieira, Gabri Vega, Alan Varela
Forwards: Samu Aghehowa, Rodrigo Mora
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Inter Miami’s starters
It’s a mostly first-choice XI for Inter Miami:
Goalkeeper: Óscar Ustari
Defense: Ian Fray, Noah Allen, Maximilliano Falcón, Marcelo Weigandt
Midfield: Sergio Busquets, Telasco Segovia, Benjamin Cremaschi
Forwards: Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, Tadeo Allende
The key absence here is Jordi Alba, the left-back who has a legendary connection with Messi but who has struggled defensively in MLS play this season. Another interesting call is Cremaschi, the US international, starting over Federico Redondo.
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Hello and welcome
Alexander will be here shortly.
In the meantime, read up on the latest at the Club World Cup, including yesterday’s bizarre Juventus/Donald Trump press availability in which two US national team players were made to look very uncomfortable:
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