Lionel Messi won La Liga 10 times. He won Ligue One twice. He has four Champions League trophies, a World Cup, two Copa Americas, and a Leagues Cup trophy. The midfielder has won the Ballon D’or eight times. He is the reigning MLS MVP. But the one question on everyone’s mind is whether or not he would be able to do it on a freezing night in Kansas City? Short answer?  He did.

Sporting Kansas City and Inter Miami FC met in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup on a freezing Wednesday night in Kansas City. The two teams had vastly different preseasons with Sporting KC struggling and Inter Miami thriving on their preseason tour. The early information revealed two interesting wrinkles for Peter Vermes’ side. First, Erik Thommy took the captain’s armband after the offseason departure of Johnny Russell. Second, Sporting listed their starting lineup in a 4-4-2 formation with new signing Dejan Joveljic and Daniel Salloi starting up top.

First Half

The early minutes of the match started slow and sloppy as both teams tried to figure out the movement and speed of the ball on the pitch. In the third minute, Robert Voloder put in a challenge on Messi that left the Argentine on the deck and hoped to set the physical tone of the night. Miami’s first moment of danger came in the seventh minute when they combined to slide a ball into Sporting’s box. John Pulskamp was quick off his line to scoop up the ball before the threat could get worse. Mere moments later, Luis Suarez found himself in a dangerous spot after a Sporting turnover in the midfield. The home fans screamed for a foul but the whistle remained quiet and the flag stayed down. Suarez ripped a shot with pace but left it wide.

In the 10th minute, Miami earned the first corner of the match. They worked a clever play off the training ground but were unable to generate anything dangerous. Two minutes later, Sporting KC earned their first corner when a ball was played over the top for DJ9 to run onto. His attempt to square the ball across the goal was played out for a corner. Sporting whipped in an inswinging corner, but it was easily claimed by Miami’s keeper, Oscar Ustari.

Sporting’s first real chance to score came on a set piece in the 15th minute. Set up just outside the Miami box, Memo Rodriguez stood over the ball and attempted to curl it into the corner. The shot lacked pace and was easily collected by Ustari. As the next ten minutes wore on, the teams traded possession with neither team being particularly dangerous. The conditions on the field and in the air made it challenging for either team to move the ball with pace or hit long switches of play.

In the 32nd minute, Miami earned a free kick in a dangerous spot. His subsequent set piece found the head of Tadeo Allende but he skied his shot over the bar. Three minutes later, Luis Suarez again ripped a shot from outside the box. This one had enough pace to beat Pulskamp, but skewed wide right and went out for a goal kick.

The ensuing run of play saw Sporting work their way down to the endline. Salloi’s attempted cross was played out for another corner kick. Tim Leibold swung the ball in with his left foot and found the head of a rising Dany Rosero but the centerback could not put the ball on frame.

In the 44th minute, Erik Thommy race down the left side and fired a cross through the box. His service just missed Daniel Salloi but provided Sporting one of their rare dangerous moments of the first half. In the ensuing build up, Thommy found himself wide open in the box but Joveljic was unable to find the winger for a high percentage chance. The referee decided to add no additional time and blew the whistle at 45:00 so both teams could race to a warm locker room.

Second Half

As the second half began, Sporting Kansas City made one change, bringing Joaquin Fernandez on for Dany Rosero.

Miami controlled the first ten minutes of the second half and ultimately broke through in the 56th minute. Sergio Busquets played a ball into the box that found the chest of 5’6″ Messi. The midfielder controlled the ball, spun away from Tim Leibold and tucked the ball into the far post past Pulskamp to give Miami a 1-0 lead.

The visitors could smell blood in the water and looked to press their advantage by earning yet another corner in the 59th minute. Messi played it short and Miami played a clever ball in to earn a shot on goal. Pulskamp parried the ball into the middle of the box for a dangerous spill but some quick feet from Sporting saved them from falling behind 2-0. Miami continued to dominate the bulk of possession and attack. Looking to make a momentum change, Peter Vermes made a series of substitutions in the 62nd minute. Memo Rodriguez made way for Manu Garcia, Logan Ndenbe came on for Tim Leibold, and Dejan Joveljic was substituted out for William (upon first reference) Agada.

Sporting almost immediately found their breakthrough when Jake Davis played a gorgeous through ball in for Daniel Salloi. The Hungarian winger felt the pressure of two Herons chasing him and despite being 1 v. 1 with the keeper, fired a shot directly into Ustari’s gut. Over an hour into the match and Sporting found their best chance of the night.

Shortly after entering the match, Sporting’s new designated player, Manu Garcia earned a foul in the midfield after a gorgeous turn. Overall, the play was not particularly notable but it was Kansas City’s first look at their new star player and he started with flair.

As the game stretched into its final 20 minutes, Sporting sustained a bit of possession before Erik Thommy took a long shot from distance that was easily saved. Miami made their first change of the night in the 72nd minute when Allende made way for Fafa Picault. Shortly thereafter, Manu Garcia earned the first yellow card of the night for a late challenge on Federico Redondo. Miami looked dangerous again in the 76th when Lionel Messi tried to sneak in a perfectly weighted pass behind Logan Ndenbe. The Belgian fullback maintained pace with Picault and was able to play the ball off the Miami speedster for a goal kick.

A few moments later, Sporting had another dangerous moment in attack. Garcia made a perfectly weighted pass to Daniel Salloi who clipped a ball across the goal and found Thommy at the far post. The winger’s shot clanked off the post and went out before the whistle blew and the offside flag was raised. Upon review, Salloi bent his run almost perfectly but was just a hair offside when Garcia made the initial pass.

Miami made a second substitution – bringing Benjamin Cremaschi on to replace Telasco Segovia. In the 80th minute, Redondo earned Miami’s first yellow card of the match for a hard foul on Manu Garcia. Sporting subsequently found another moment of dangerous play with the ball finding Agada in the box with hi back to the goal. He passed to Radoja whose shot was blocked out of bounds. Sporting kept up the pressure and attempted to find the equalizer with 10 minutes of regular time remaining.

Sporting’s final substitution came when Daniel Salloi made way for the birthday boy, Stephen Afrifa. The home team had a foul shout deep in Miami territory when Thommy was pulled to the ground but the referee waived play on. Sporting continued to press the attack with six minutes to go, looking for the goal that would change the complexion of next week’s second leg.

A bad turnover by Jacob Bartlett in the midfield nearly delivered the death blow for Miami. Despite the bad turnover, Sporting recovered and was able to escape the danger without a shot on target. With two minutes left, Kansas City earned another corner kick. Manu Garcia whipped in the set piece but could not make it past the first defender. Miami made their final substitution in the last minute of regular time when Luis Suarez left the pitch for Robert Taylor.

As the referee held up the board indicating three minutes of added time, Fafa Picault ripped a rocket from distance that just missed the goal by a hair. Sporting pressed forward hoping to find one moment of magic in the final minutes. They were stifled by a staunch Miami defense and the visitors were able to play keep away with the ball for the final 30 seconds to close out the match, winning 1-0.

Final stats

Miami took nine shots with one on goal (thought I swear there was a second one). Sporting had seven shots with three on target.

The visitors had nearly 700 passes while Sporting had 467. Sporting earned 5 corners to Miami’s 4. Miami was whistled for 12 fouls to Kansas City’s 8 and each team earned one yellow.

Sporting’s next match is Saturday at Austin FC before they head to Miami for the return leg of the CCC on February 25.