🔴 MLS CUP: Miami take early lead in epic cup final | OneFootball

HALF-TIME

Inter Miami 1-0 Vancouver Whitecaps

Miami took an early lead but Vancouver have certainly looked the better of the two sides on the whole. We should be set up for a quality second-half from Fort Lauderdale.

HUGE SAVE FROM RÍOS NOVO!

Vancouver should have leveled the score after a point-blank chance fell to Emmanuel Sabbi at the back post, but the Miami keeper came up huge to keep his side in the lead as we inch towards half-time.

Vancouver are starting to really frustrate Inter Miami after winning a handful of free-kicks in and around the Miami box. The referee has been a very busy man in this opening 40 minutes.

Great chance for the Whitecaps from a set-piece but Brian White's header from close range lands right in the hands of Miami goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo.

After the aforementioned frantic start, Vancouver have settled into this final quite nicely, controlling most of the possession in the Miami half of the pitch. But the visitors are just probing for now.

A chance emerged on the edge of the box for Vancouver, but for some reason no Whitecap pulled the trigger to test the goalkeeper.

Penalty shout for Vancouver after Emmanuel Sabbi appeared to be taken down in the Miami box, but after a long VAR check behind the scenes nothing was given.

It's been a fairly frantic opening 20 minutes from Vancouver as they struggle to find any sort of control amid this opening blitz from the hosts.

🥊 It's safe to say these two teams do not like each other. There has been plenty of extracurricular activies after the whistle.

GOAL INTER MIAMI!!!

The deadlock is broken in the opening 10 minutes! A move started by Messi at the halfway line is eventually capped off thanks to a fortunate bounce off Vancouver defender Édier Ocampo. It's an early lead for the hosts!

Inter Miami 1-0 Vancouver Whitecaps

It's not a venue often thought about when it comes to quality atmospheres in MLS, but the vibes are high inside of Chase Stadium today.

The first big chance falls to Tadeo Allende, who has been red-hot in the MLS Cup playoffs, but the former Celta Vigo man put his effort high from the right side of the box.

The pitch is bathed in sunshine on this rare mid-day kickoff in MLS Cup.

Alright folks, buckle up. Here we go from Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. It's Inter Miami vs Vancouver Whitecaps. It's Lionel Messi vs Thomas Müller, and we're underway!