Highlights: Inter Miami - Cincinnati | Semifinal | US Open Cup 2023

That is the side where Lionel Messi is going to be attacking from the challenge to the interior. The front line can do it, the back line can do it, but can they do it for 90? And we are underway at TQL Stadium, inter-Miami, right to left in the pink. Bell for FC Cincinnati. Moreno. Acosta. Ricochets through for Bupenza. Here's Lucho Acosta waiting for it. FC Cincinnati. It rests on the morals and absolute skill set by Lucho Acosta. The deep-lying position that he always comes out of. He presses teams to make them uncomfortable. You have to chase. Yes, a benefactor of the deflection, but a massive little flick on by Bupenza. Third time so far, even after coming off that quick little redirect, they're able to play off of him. He's got the vision in behind. Now the unlucky bit here for FC Cincinnati. They released a smoke behind their own goal. So their own goalkeeper is looking through the smoke at Messi. Through for Gomez, saved by Kadd. Smoke didn't matter. Well, let's be really clear here. I mean, he's a human cheat code, honestly. A beautiful little touch that was, and it's a pretty good save, by the way. A little cutback across 100% because of the smoke. I mean, structurally, you're saying. John Malta with it. Messi opens up, dances through. Dickerson allows him to play through. Switched out for Arias. Arias taken out by Alba. A card has to come out at some point. He's going to get a hand, and here it is. Uncute. Joey Dickerson gives the first card to Jordi Alba. Every time he touches the ball, he's being booed by the stadium. It could come back to bite them if it gets him going. Gomez, heavy touch, gave it away. Acosta couldn't get the handle on it. Otherwise, he had Bupenza streaking. Now, it's the other way, and Yedlin was home free. They wanted the advantage. Joey Dickerson did not allow. Fresh off a gold cup with the United States. Through for Vasquez, also had that gold cup. Scored three times for the U.S., and Wilberto taken down. The L.O. for Malta. And that's Smother, Messi, and Busquets, but here's Messi now. Busquets, Malta. John Malta lets it fly, but why? Getting it wrong on a 1-0 lead, 35 yards for opponents, that isn't the worst thing, sitting on that shutout. The problem is, is how long is that actually going to last? What a turn. Bupenza lights a calendar as soon as he made that turn. Six minutes have come and gone, and as the ball goes back, there's the whistle. FC Cincinnati takes a 1-0 lead in the break over into Miami. Cincy in blue, right to left. It's for Miami in pink, left to right. Joey Dickerson in yellow sends us on our way in half number two. We have seen Acosta left, right, center, just all over the place. He has so much freedom for Cincinnati. That move that we were just talking about right there, though, with Lucho Acosta as he comes, you haven't necessarily seen. Into space for Arias. He'll get there. Bupenza making the run toward the penalty spot. It's back instead for Vasquez! Brandon Vasquez doubles the lead! And exactly what you want. It's a turnover in deep-lying fashion. There's your target man who starts the movement overall. You play into Vasquez, space on the outside. Now where are the options going to come from? Who's able to occupy two centerbacks. Kripzal gets it wrong. He doesn't recognize that Brandon Vasquez has continued this run coming forward. Makes his way to the top of the 18. Beautiful first touch. Marksman to the bottom corner, third of the tournament, and the extension of the lead for FC Cincinnati. Jordi Alba was irate with Leo Campana there. It was a brilliant ball through from Messi that would have had Alba into goal, and Campana cut it off. And Deandre Yedlin. So Miller mocked up Yedlin off. Ruiz, Farias, and Taylor on. Although not necessarily the pervert position to get them there, he's certainly comfortable doing so. They've used him in that fashion before. Cal looking for Mupenza. Back for Acosta. Something off the training ground. It's a bit askew in the end. Farias has it. Acosta cuts it through for Vasquez. Racing to get there ahead of Callender, and he puts it wide. That's his spot. Yacubo has a goal in this tournament. Came in the round of 16 against New York Red Bulls. That 1-1 tie. They then won on penalties. Gomez caught napping. Now it's through for Yacubo. Has to run on the back side if he spots it. Goes for goal himself, and Callender has it smothered. Crowd serenades Acosta as he swings in the corner. Haglund's header. If Haglund, as a favorite son of this fan base, would have scored it off the corner, it would have... Messi's free kick. Driven in! Campana! And that's on a good day against Leo Campana, who's just over 6'2", and just a massive frame that all you're looking to do here, put it right at the top of the six. You let your nine chase it, explode into a danger area, and go up and win the individual battle. It's a mismatch. The marking's off, but it's perfection for Inter-Miami. They're back. Acosta. Perfectly shaped ball into Vasquez. He's tripped up. A free kick on the way. What color is the card? Yellow. Joey Dickerson pointing at Krivtsov. There was another man back there. There's a ton of space on the near post, though. Can you get up and down fast enough? That's a tall ask. It is, but... Oh! Callender got a hand to it. Was going wide, but he took no chances. It's so difficult with the left and right, and just watch the overall positioning from Drake Callender. He's already on an angle. That's just good goalkeeping. Breaks it the entire way, and it's headed to the outside of the post, but that's a man who's been in incredible form this year, and has certainly earned his national team columns. Acosta's corner. It's loose in the box, and Puthoff restores the two-goal lead. No, he got through the middle. Watch the little dummy by Hagelin. It's tough. I mean, the arms. It's away from Fabulous. Kubo calling for it on the left side. Acosta now slips it through for Kubo. Flag stays down. Yuya Kubo denied by Callender. This is some kind of run, once again, from Yuya Kubo. Notice Brandon Vazquez. He drags Tomas Aviles with him, and safe conversation. In for Brandon Vazquez. That'll be all for Diego Gómez on the inter-Miami side. Joseph Martínez takes his spot. Aviles out. Noah Allen in. All five changes made. We'll get a bonus one if this does go to extra time, remember. Campana dummies it through. Martínez was lurking. Taylor had to fend for it. Lost it. Krivtsov, that'll be a yellow. Taylor has benefited the most as he finds Messi here. Options abound in the box. Alba flows it toward Campana. Lucho Acosta! Saved by Callender. That's why you're going to see some subs. It's widening itself here, and that's not going to bode well for FC Cincinnati. Campana taken out. Acosta was just warned by Dickerson, and now he'll count him up and show the yellow. Double back and fix one of the subs. It's actually Moreno. He showed Haglund. He started walking off. He said, no, no, no, and it's Moreno who came off. Well, that's the ref who got that wrong, because they definitely have it lined up over here, and you can see the direction being given to the back line of FC Cincinnati. That's an incredible shift for Ian Murphy. You've got to tip your cap to a kid who at 23 years of age just shut down the entire flank of one of the best to ever do it. Supplemented by Lucho Acosta up top in the 10. This individual brilliance showed bright on both ends of the ball, to be fair, and now a chance to solidify with fresh legs. Inside five to go. Messi chips it ahead. Krivtsov flicks it on, and it's saved by Camp. Came oh so close six years ago for it at the end, losing an extra time in the New York Red Bulls, when they were still second division team FC Cincinnati. That's a card. He's swinging there. Penalties it took on the road against the New York Red Bulls in the round of 16. The three to one win against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds of USL Championship in the corners. Now it's Santos. Santos back post. The chance to finish this off and ties. Could do here if you're an FC Cincinnati fan, because you've done everything right. If not for the individual exploits of Drake Callender and goal, that's some kind of save. Notice how quickly he plants, comes back over to the left, and then immediately. Messi looking for Campana. How do you attack it? That's the back post run. Ray Gattis doesn't drift over, doesn't try and give him help on the backside, and instead, Alvis Powell, we said when they made this change, the immediate move, there was an issue on the back post run. Three separate times from Leo Campana. Yuya Kubo, can he supply that dramatic finish? No. And there's your whistle. We are headed for extra time. And by the way, six years ago, when since he fell to the Red Bulls, it was three to an extra time. Towards the end of that 90 minute tenure. And the man who made everything possible, and Leo Campana, no curtain call necessary. He's done. Kramoski certainly an attacking option to help them chase this game. You would imagine this is going to push Facundo Farnes a little bit higher to get Kramoski comfortable in the interior, and regain the midfield argument for Inter-Miami. Underway, now in extra time. For a while, it didn't seem like we'd get here. Officially tonight, the backbreaker came at 90 plus seven. Kramoski through Joseph Martinez. He's been waiting for his moment. Not necessarily when playing out of the back goes wrong, but it's an unwarranted ball. You don't need to take a chance there, and it gets caught in between Yuya Kubo and Arias on the right flank. And the person who gives it away, and Matt Miazga, just can't recover fast enough. That's beautiful vision by Joseph Martinez. And everything that was the product on their own demise tonight, comes back to bite the opposition on the other end. Diagonal running behind from Elvis Powell, and the breakthrough for Joseph Martinez. That's probably the best you're going to get right now. He can't extend the play, but he is a marksman. I'll be at that time for business. From the corner, chance here, off the bar! Arias could have equalized. The bar said no. Something's still on here as Angulo turns upfield. Who's at the moment? Badajoz, last minute of this first half of extra time. Angulo, and centers, it bounces. Haglund, down for a handball. We'll have a look at it perhaps. Kubo, out for a corner. Ask Callaghan to play the ball in, because he knows he's blowing the whistle, and there it is. So through the first half of extra time, Center Miami now ahead by a goal, courtesy of Joseph Martinez. And so in that absence, moments like that can actually help the team band around themselves. And Pat Noonan's going to be sitting there going, look, there is a chink in the armor. They are fallible. We can beat this team. Center Miami 3, FC Cincinnati 2. Brett Halsey came on for Badajoz. Neither team has a sub remaining. He's inverting just a tiny touch with Brett Halsey. Basically, you pivot on the left, you get Gannis and Halsey. Same thing on the right side, when you rotate through Alvarez-Powell and Arias, and you just kind of seesaw back and forth. That is for Halsey. Halsey, center egg, ball for Yuyakubo. Kubo, and Cincinnati! And the tactical change to get someone to play off Sergio Santos, and most assuredly, it had to be Yuyakubo. Starts with the move, the substitute, Brett Halsey, as he gets down in, he recognizes he's got Angulo at the 8th, but off the deflection, Yuyakubo on the touch. It's the beautiful setup, Kubo's cooking, and the kiss of death for Drake Callender. Enter Miami, it came against Miami FC in their first game of the tournament. Cincinnati came in the round of 16. Santos flicks it. Drake Callender scored the winning penalty. Here's David Ruiz, with some space, Ruiz taking down, free kick, Messi territory, and a yellow. Messi again, but this time right. 120 minutes have been played, we'll decide this on penalties. Ball against Callender, to start things off, Kubo gets it in, barely does, as Callender guesses right. Messi scores. Santiago Arias steps up now. One of the few who's played against Messi on the field tonight for Cincinnati previously, and he makes it 2-1. Tonight making his club debut, what a moment this is. Arias scores. Now from the spot, Santos, upper 90, started at the U-20 World Cup for Honduras a couple months ago, scored a penalty there as well. Ruiz scores. Now it's Matt Miaska, giving the captain's armband after Acosta subbed off. Miaska, the 28-year-old from Clifton, New Jersey, keeps it going for Cincinnati. Scored already tonight, in extra time. Martinez, a stutter step, and he puts it in. Four for four from both sides. Those two were teammates winning the Open Cup back in 2019 for Atlanta. Now it's Haglund in the fifth round. Nick Haglund, saved by Callender, a victory now into Miami. For the U.S. men's national team in the next stretch of friendlies they play. To send them to the final, Benhak Kramoski, a Clifton Cup trophy. Just gives you that little added something. You go to Benhak Kramoski, 12 yards out, the bottom corner, five straight for inter-Miami, into the back of the net to beat Gallican.