Messi assists on both goals as Inter Miami defeat Real Salt Lake 2-0
The 2024 MLS season began on Wednesday night, and Lionel Messi and his pink-clad Inter Miami teammates looked like a team in mid-season form as they defeated Real Salt Lake 2-0. Messi assists on both goals as Inter Miami defeat Real Salt Lake 2-0 to start the season.
They dazzled the Chase Stadium crowd with precision passing, dribbling defenders left and right, and generally proving to be the league’s main attraction. After a 24,000-mile, five-nation preseason tour, fans’ concerns about Inter Miami players being worn out at the start of the season were allayed. Messi sprinted hard throughout ninety minutes, dodging defenders repeatedly, threading passes through narrow gaps, and shifting direction and speed at will.https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/soccer/2024/02/21/messi-match-today-inter-miami-vs-real-salt-lake-live-updates-highlights/72689722007/
He appeared totally fit and driven. He was involved in Diego Gomez’s goal in the 83rd minute as well as the brilliant ball that resulted in Robert Taylor’s goal in the 39th minute. In order to set up Gomez’s goal from close range, Messi and his close friend and former FC Barcelona teammate Luis Suarez—who was making his MLS debut—worked together.
We discussed how Messi created so much room last year, but now that you have Messi and Suarez, it gives me a lot more room on the wing,” Taylor remarked. “They complement each other so well that they draw a lot of defenders, which occasionally leaves room for me as well.” David Santiago Messi dribbled the ball over wounded Andrew Brody, who was on the ground, then hurdled over him to try to get a shot off in one of the night’s most stunning scenes that went viral right away on social media. The 21,137-strong crowd, which included former NFL player Chad Ochocinco and actor Will Smith, relished every moment of Messi’s performance.
Tata Martino, the coach of Inter Miami, remarked, “I think the first half showed anyone who had doubts about what this team can do.”” Messi was performing freely and with his usual deft touch. He possesses a quality that no other player does. Everyone gets the impression that a goal is possible when he takes the ball far from the goal. The fervent “La Familia” supporters in the north stands led Messi and his teammates in the last moments of the game with the traditional Argentine cry, “Ole, Ole, Ola, Cada Dia Te Queiro Mas” (Ole, Ole, Ola, Every Day I Love You More), while also waving their enormous flags and beating their drums.
Diego Gómez (20) of Inter Miami celebrates with teammates Lionel Messi (10), Luis Suárez (9), and Jean Mota (7) following his goal in the second half of Wednesday, February 21, 2024, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, during an MLS match versus Real Salt Lake at Chase Stadium. David Santiago From the first whistle, it was clear that Inter Miami wanted to be the same side as the one that won the League Cup the previous summer, when Messi was playing like a god and Miami seemed unstoppable until he suffered an injury that ended his career and caused the squad to falter in the latter part of the season.
Messi assists on both goals as Inter Miami defeat Real Salt Lake 2-0
Last season, Messi scored 11 goals in 14 games, but following his injury, the team’s goal scoring dried up. Alongside three of his former FC Barcelona teammates—Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, and Luis Suarez, the Uruguayan forward making his Major League Soccer debut—Messi was once again working his magic on Wednesday night. They appeared to have telepathy at times, entering areas precisely when passes were being given out.https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/mls/inter-miami/article285743876.html
Regarding Messi and Suarez, Martino remarked, “I had been saying since we got back from Japan two weeks ago that we needed to have more training sessions together for them to rediscover their rhythm.” “They are well acquainted with one another in their case, but it will take some time for them to rediscover the connection they had in Barcelona.
Gomez, who recently competed in pre-Olympic qualifiers for the Paraguay national team, was a standout player and looked great in his pink jersey. Gomez stated, “I came in really focused, and the opportunity to play was really important to me. Tata has shown confidence in me since I arrived.” Tonight, we approached the game with a different mindset. Playing with such amazing people here, interacting with them, and just enjoying the experience of being with them makes me very happy.
Gomez should have a major part in the entire season, according to Martino. Martino gave the following evaluation of the match: “We played well in the first half, particularly the fact that we did not struggle defensively. We should have scored one more goal in the first half, in my opinion. While they had trouble taking the ball away from us in the first half, we could not get off to a good start in the second half and lost a lot of balls in transition. They were able to regain control of the game after that, and in the first twenty-five minutes of the second half, they had a chance to tie the score.
However, the game transformed once we scored the second goal. Real Salt Lake placed more pressure on the home team in the second half, but Drake Callender made a few crucial saves to keep Miami ahead.
Messi, Suarez, Taylor, Gomez, Busquets, Julian Gressel, Alba, Sergiy Kryvtsov, Tomas Aviles, DeAndre Yedlin, and Drake Callender were the starting lineup that Martino selected. In the 77th minute, David Ruiz, Jean Mota, and Noah Allen replaced Aviles, Gressel, and Taylor.
Busquets left the game in the 84th minute due to soreness in his ankle, although Martino stated that he didn’t think the situation was serious and that he was taken out of caution. In the ninetieth minute, Campana took Suarez’s position.
MLS Commissioner Don Garber and Apple TV vice president Eddy Cue were watching it all from a suite, excited to see what Messi would do for a comeback following his game-changing rookie season. Garber expressed his excitement, saying, “It will take him and his family another year to adjust to South Florida and build relationships with his teammates. I know he is very comfortable here, and the team is very supportive of him.” “We must never lose sight of the fact that Major League Soccer and everything it represents house the greatest player in the history of the game.”
“There’s more buzz about Major League Soccer globally than there even is domestically,” the commissioner continued. Cue expressed his disbelief at how rapidly Messi changed the perception of soccer in this country and the MLS.
Cue remarked, “I thought it would take some time, but I knew he would make a difference.” From both a global and an American standpoint, he made a significant impact very quickly. I was unaware of his influence and authority. He writes movie scripts so much better than I could if I were writing one. It’s incredible to witness.
For their Sunday matchup against the Los Angeles Galaxy, the club is traveling across the country to California. Martino stated that he plans to start Sunday’s game with a similar group. He also mentioned that Nico Freire, the center defender who was sidelined on Wednesday due to a persistent knee ailment, will be traveling. StubHub users are buying the most tickets for that game this season, with resale values ranging from $250 to $7,820.
