CLEVELAND (AP) — Benjamin Cremaschi scored on a diving header in the 30th minute and Inter Miami beat the Columbus Crew 1-0 on Saturday.
The matchup between the lone remaining teams in Major League Soccer drew 60,614 fans to Huntington Bank Field, a single-game record for a Crew home game and the largest non-NFL event in stadium history.
The match was moved from Columbus to the home of the NFL’s Cleveland Browns due to the popularity of Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi.
It is the second time this season and ninth since Messi joined MLS in 2023 that Inter Miami has had a road crowd of at least 60,000.
Inter Miami improved to 5-0-3 while Columbus dropped to 5-1-3.
Oscar Ustari made three diving saves in the second half to keep the shutout intact.
Miami took the lead in the 30th minute when Miami midfielder Marcelo Weigandt sent a crossing pass into the center of the box. Columbus defender Malte Amundsen was step for step with Cremaschi, but the 20-year-old midfielder was able to get to it in time and put it past goalkeeper Patrick Schulte for his first goal of the season.
The goal was also the first in 277 minutes scored by a Miami player other than Messi.
Messi had a chance to make it 2-0 during stoppage time in the first half, but was just wide to the left of the net with a blast from the top of the box.
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AP MLS:
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