Inter Miami suffered a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat to Mexican side Monterrey on Saturday night, losing in the 90th minute of their Leagues Cup group stage match.

The game took place under deeply emotional circumstances, with Lionel Messi absent after returning to Argentina following the death of his father, Jorge Messi.

It was Inter Miami’s first defeat since May 2, ending an impressive eight-game unbeaten run for the MLS side.

The loss dropped Inter Miami to 10th place among the 18 MLS teams competing in the Leagues Cup tournament, putting the club on the brink of elimination.

Miami must now win their third group stage match on Wednesday against León to have any realistic hope of advancing in the competition.

The club was further weakened by the absence of Luis Suárez, who is serving a six-game suspension stemming from last season’s Leagues Cup final.

With Messi unavailable, academy forward Lovens Delinois made his first-team debut alongside fellow academy forward Daniel Pinter, stepping into an enormous void.

Before kickoff, a moment of silence was held at Nu Stadium to honour Messi’s late father, with players, coaches, and fans all paying their respects together.

Messi’s teammates wore black armbands throughout the match, and the club confirmed that no coaches or players would be available for post-game interviews.

The night’s most powerful moment came in the 32nd minute, when Argentina teammate and close friend Rodrigo De Paul scored a stunning right-footed strike from outside the box to put Miami ahead 1-0.

De Paul, who wore the captain’s armband in Messi’s absence, lifted his shirt after scoring to reveal Messi’s iconic No. 10 jersey underneath, pointing to the name on the back as the crowd erupted.

He was shown a yellow card for excessive celebration, a decision that drew loud boos and hisses from the partisan Miami supporters inside the stadium.

Inter Miami’s passionate supporter group, La Familia, waved a large banner reading “Fuerza Leo,” which translates to “Stay Strong, Leo,” and chanted “Ole, Ole, Ole, Leo, Leo!” throughout the evening.

Monterrey eventually levelled before Diego Rossi struck in the 90th minute to complete a cruel turnaround and hand Miami a devastating defeat on an already painful night.

Monterrey defender Carlos Salcedo was forced off with an injury in the 15th minute, replaced by Jorge Rodríguez, though the disruption did little to derail the Mexican side’s performance.

Miami now holds just three points from their opening win over Atletico San Luis, leaving them in a difficult position with three MLS teams already sitting on six points.

Messi had scored twice and added an assist in that opening 4-2 Leagues Cup victory over Atletico San Luis just days earlier, underlining how significant his absence proved to be.

Both Miami and Monterrey conclude their group stage campaigns on Wednesday, with Miami hosting León and Monterrey travelling to face Nashville.

The post Rodrigo De Paul’s Lionel Messi Tribute Cannot Prevent Inter Miami Defeat Against Monterrey In Leagues Cup appeared first on Gooner Daily.