Leagues Cup roundup: Inter Miami advance without Lionel Messi

Inter Miami 3 – 1 Pumas

Even without Lionel Messi, the Herons became the first MLS club to clinch a Leagues Cup quarter-final berth. Luis Suárez buried a 59-minute penalty and finished with two assists, while Rodrigo de Paul found his maiden Miami goal just before the break. A slick finish from Tadeo Allende in the 69th minute sealed matters after Pumas’ Jorge Ruvalcaba had briefly stunned DRV PNK Stadium. With Messi nursing a hamstring strain, Miami (2-0-1, 8 pts) now waits for the Liga MX third-place side. Bettors eyeing Miami’s depth can brush up on cup-competition angles here: How to Bet on Soccer.

Seattle Sounders 2 – 1 Club Tijuana

A pair of precision headers—Osaze De Rosario early in the second half and Danny Musovski late—earned Seattle the only perfect 9-point record among MLS teams. The Sounders out-shot Tijuana 26-11 and will face Liga MX’s fourth seed in the quarters. If you like riding form sides through knockout draws, see Sportshub’s Best Tips for Betting on the Champions League for situational parallels.

Club América 1 (5) – 1 (3) Portland Timbers

Already eliminated, América still made Portland sweat. Ariel Lassiter struck early for the Timbers, but a second-half red to Jimer Fory flipped momentum. Ramon Juárez nodded the equaliser and the Águilas coolly converted all five penalties, while Portland’s Kamal Miller missed to leave the Timbers (2-0-1, 7 pts) hanging on goal difference. Fundamentals of shoot-out wagering mirror standard spot-kick props—covered in the Beginner’s Guide to Premier League Betting.

Atlético de San Luis 2 – 0 Minnesota United

Out of contention but eager for pride, San Luis handed the Loons a shock exit. João Pedro’s thumping header on 45 + 1′ set the tone; sub Sebastián Pérez Bouquet iced it on 89′. Minnesota, who scored seven in their first two matches, couldn’t solve keeper Andrés Sánchez and bowed out despite a 20-9 shot edge.

Orlando City 5 – 1 Necaxa

A goal-glut moved Orlando into third on the MLS ledger (2-0-1, 7 pts; +6 GD). Luis Muriel exploded for a hat-trick—his first Lions strikes—while Martín Ojeda bagged a brace. Necaxa’s late header from Alexis Peña was cosmetic as Los Rayos were dumped out. High-margin wins are gold for goal-line bettors; consult How to Bet on Soccer for run-line concepts.

Real Salt Lake 1 – 0 Querétaro

RSL’s cup run ends on six points, but Braian Ojeda’s 30-yard blast gave home fans a quality send-off and the club a third 1-0 decision since mid-July. Querétaro finish the phase pointless, still chasing their first competitive win of the Apertura.

Atlanta United 4 – 1 Atlas

With both sides already out, Atlanta found catharsis in its most comprehensive display of 2025. Jamal Thiaré converted an eighth-minute penalty, Aleksei Miranchuk and Saba Lobjanidze added first-half strikes, and academy product Cayman Togashi capped things after the break. Atlas salvaged pride via Diego González’s late free kick.