After winning their first final in club history by defeating Nashville SC in Leagues Cup, Inter Miami can book their place in another final Wednesday when they face FC Cincinnati in the U.S. Open Cup semifinals on CBS Sports Golazo Network. While Cincinnati have been the best team in Major League Soccer, leading the Supporters' Shield race, things have changed quickly since the arrival of one Lionel Messi in America. Along with Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, he has shifted Inter Miami into being contenders for every honor in the league, which will make this quite the match at TQL Stadium.
Despite Miami's dominance, the number of games on their legs could give Cincinnati an advantage if they can strike quickly. Brandon Vazquez and Luciano Acosta are among the best attackers in the league and could give Inter Miami's defense some serious trouble. On Saturday it took a 10-9 shootout for Messi and company to lift the Leagues Cup trophy, and they faced a semifinal before that that was more difficult than it seemed. Sure they won 4-1 over Philadelphia, but the Union held the team to five total shots.
It's true that Messi has steamrolled the Major League soccer teams he's played against, but on the whole the better MLS sides have been able to hang in there against Miami, and it's taken some inspired work by keeper Drake Callendar (the man who also scored the Leagues Cup winning penalty) to keep Miami from leaking goals at the other end. The question is whether Cincinnati can take advantage.
Here's our storylines, how you can watch the match and more:
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How to watch and odds
- Date: Wednesday, Aug. 23 | Time: 7 p.m. ET
- Location: TQL Stadium -- Cincinnati, Ohio
- TV: CBS Sports Golazo Network | Live stream: Paramount+
- Star Cam: Paramount+
- Odds: FC Cincinnati +210; Draw +265; Inter Miami -104
ISWT: Want more coverage of American soccer? Listen below and make sure to follow the In Soccer We Trust: A CBS Sports Soccer Podcast for everything you need to know about the game in the United States.
Storylines
FC Cincinnati: No team has stopped Messi yet but Cincinnati would do well to take a page out of Nasville's book. Able to clog the midfield and hurt Miami from set pieces, Nashville were the only team to hold the Herons scoreless for over 20 minutes of a match. Even with injuries in defense, Cincinnati can still do that and Acosta is one of the best midfielders from dead-ball scenarios in the league.
Inter Miami: How Miami respond to potentially tired legs will be the biggest question heading into the match but if they can play their game, few teams can stop them. They do have to make sure not to look too much into always feeding Messi in the match as the team can overlook runs from other players but when Miami are doing so well currently, any adjustments needed are minor ones.
How to watch CBS Sports Golazo Network and Paramount+
The Golazo Network is available via CBSSports.com, the CBS Sports app, Paramount+ and Pluto TV. Paramount+ subscribers can get an up-close look at Lionel Messi's greatness with the Star Cam, which follows his every move and touch on the pitch. For a limited time, get 50% off an annual plan. That's $2.50/month for the Essential Plan, or $5/month for the Paramount+ with SHOWTIME plan, for 12 months! Try it for free here.
Prediction
As they continue to play close games, Inter Miami will prevail on penalties yet again after ending the match level. Pick: FC Cincinnati 2, Inter Miami 2 (Miami on penalties).
Where to buy Messi jersey
Celebrate Lionel Messi's move to the U.S. with the exclusive range of Inter Miami CF merchandise. You can get the Lionel Messi Inter Miami jersey right here.
