- Sports
- 22 July 2023
Aggressive Lionel Messi Dominates Inter Miami 2-1 Debut Win
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, Lionel Messi made his much-anticipated debut in Florida seven months after winning the World Cup,…
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, Lionel Messi made his much-anticipated debut in Florida seven months after winning the World Cup, and the entire football world was watching.
With a sensational free-kick winner against Cruz Azul in the final minute of stoppage time, Lionel Messi had an explosive start for Inter Miami.
LeBron James, Serena Williams, and other celebrities were present as the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner made a dream debut for David Beckham’s MLS team.
A former Barcelona and Paris St. Germain player, Lionel Messi also scored on an injury-time set-piece to secure a 2-1 victory.
It took years for Lionel Messi to make his Miami debut, but the wait was well worth it.
Uriel Antuna overturned Robert Taylor’s wonderful opening goal.
Still, the 36-year-old struck at the last moment to send DRV PNK Stadium into a frenzy and secure an unforgettable 2-1 League Cup victory.
In an on-field interview following the victory celebrations, Messi stated, “What I saw was the goal.” I could make out the distant end. I understood that I needed a purpose.
“I didn’t take penalties because I wanted to score on the game’s final play.”
Messi’s previous manager at Barcelona, Tata Martino, who is currently the head coach of Inter Miami, said: “It’s a movie that we have seen before.”
The excited, sold-out crowd included celebrities including Inter Miami owner David Beckham, LeBron James, Serena Williams, Kim Kardashian, and others.
An evening that attracted supporters of all ages wearing “Messi 10” shirts had the perfect ending there.
How Lionel Messi gave struggling Miami a great moment
In the opening exchanges, Miami looked every bit like the weak side of the Eastern Conference, which made for difficult watching for the proud Miami co-owner who was sitting in a box adjacent to the dugout.
Taylor’s brilliant low shot off the post and into the net gave Inter the lead just before halftime, much to Messi’s joy. Inter managed to weather the early storm.
The attacker earned loud applause throughout the game and was given the captain’s armband when Sergio Busquets entered the game in the 54th minute.
Jordi Alba has also agreed to move to Miami to work with their former Barcelona manager, Tata Martino, but there is still work to be done as Cruz Azul rightfully equalized through Antuna.
As the clock ticked down, the Mexicans had a great chance to win, but Messi had a big night.
In the last seconds of stoppage time, the 36-year-old was awarded a free kick, and as pyrotechnics broke out, he rocketed the next set piece into the top left corner.
48 years after Pele’s debut for the New York Cosmos and 16 years to the day after Beckham made his LA Galaxy debut, this was a historic moment for Major League Soccer and a historic night for North American football.
Throughout the entire match, enthusiastic supporters kept chanting Messi’s name.
The hosts started the game poorly, as Cruz Azul played hard with them.
During that initial bombardment, Carlos Rotondi delivered a shot that hit the goalpost.
Miami gave very little in response, but after a break to address Ian Fray’s frightening-looking injury, a flash of brilliance changed the game.
Taylor was found high and wide on the left side by Robbie Robinson’s diagonal pass.
The international player for Finland made a cut inside, found a gap, and unleashed a low right-footed shot that struck the far post.
The big moment finally occurred in the 54th minute, and Messi was on his feet dancing and preparing to enter the game.
To a loud cheer, the Argentina captain jogged on and made room for Benjamin Cremaschi to take the captain’s armband.
He was joined by former Barça teammates Busquets and Josef Martinez during an exciting triple substitution.
Every time Messi touched the ball, the crowd went wild, but the Mexican visitors continued to create opportunities and tied the score in the 65th minute.
Drake Callender, the Miami custodian, was unable to stop Antuna’s drilled strike after he retrieved the ball in a risky area.
As the game swung from end to end and both teams were vying for victory, Messi displayed glimpses of brilliance, ability, and grace.
As this chaotic brawl went on, Ignacio Rivero was stopped from passing to Callender, and there were a few tense moments when Messi was threaded through by Busquets only to have a shot blocked.
Martinez appeared to have won it, but Messi had been way offside when he passed it, and Callender expertly stopped Christian Tabo at the other end.
A penalty shootout was supposed to conclude the game, but Messi had other plans.
Carlos Salcedo’s foul opened the door for a memorable conclusion, and the rookie produced a breathtaking finish.
