Inter Miami Triumphs Over Columbus Crew in Front of Record-Breaking Crowd
Updated: Apr 19, 2025, 08:24 pm
In a thrilling encounter that saw Benjamin Cremaschi score on a diving header in the 30th minute, Inter Miami managed to edge out the Columbus Crew with a 1-0 victory on Saturday. This match was not just any regular season game; it was a spectacle that drew an impressive 60,614 fans to Huntington Bank Field, setting a new single-game record for a Crew home game and marking the largest non-NFL event in the stadium’s history.
The game was originally scheduled to take place in Columbus but was moved to the home of the NFL’s Cleveland Browns due to the immense popularity of Inter Miami’s superstar, Lionel Messi. This is the second time this season and the ninth since Messi joined MLS in 2023 that Inter Miami has played in front of a road crowd of at least 60,000.
Reflecting on the atmosphere, Cremaschi said, “He’s the greatest player to play the sport. That’s why he attracts so many people to watch him. We’re playing away but sometimes we feel at home. I think everything goes away in the moment and we focus on our goal.”
The match was a star-studded affair with notable figures such as Cleveland Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson, center Tristan Thompson, and Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy among the crowd.
With this victory, Inter Miami improved their record to 5-0-3, while Columbus dropped to 5-1-3. The game was a testament to the defensive prowess of Oscar Ustari, who made three crucial diving saves in the second half to maintain the shutout.
Miami’s lead came courtesy of a well-executed play in the 30th minute. Midfielder Marcelo Weigandt delivered a precise crossing pass into the center of the box. Despite the close marking by Columbus defender Malte Amundsen, the 20-year-old Cremaschi managed to connect with the ball and send it past goalkeeper Patrick Schulte for his first goal of the season. The goal was celebrated in front of Cleveland’s Dawg Pound section, which was filled with Crew supporters.
Cremaschi explained his decisive move, saying, “It was the only way to get to the ball.” Notably, this goal was the first in 277 minutes scored by a Miami player other than Messi.
Messi had an opportunity to double the lead during stoppage time in the first half, but his shot from the top of the box narrowly missed the target, going just wide to the left of the net. Towards the end of the game, the 37-year-old appeared to be moving gingerly, but Miami coach Javier Mascherano assured that he was not aware of any issues.
In a strategic move, fellow forward Luis Suárez was substituted by Telasco Segovia midway through the second half. Mascherano explained that the substitution was made with an eye on Thursday’s Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal first leg against the Vancouver Whitecaps.
- “We decided to sub out Luis because I thought we needed to refresh,” Mascherano said in his postgame news conference. “Luis has been playing many minutes, and we wanted to have the ball more so we decided to involve Telasco Segovia and leave Messi loose.”
- “The idea was to do what we had to at that moment but also thinking about the fact that we have a game on Thursday.”
Information from The Associated Press and ESPN’s Lizzy Becherano was used in this report.
Originally Written by: ESPN
