Lionel Messi Inter Miami debut Archives

After the high-octane excitement of their successful Leagues Cup campaign and the thrill of their comeback victory in the US Open Cup semi-final, Inter Miami and Lionel Messi get down to the main job at hand on Saturday.

The Major League Soccer regular season returns in full with Miami, who travel to the New York Red Bulls, faced with the tough task of climbing from bottom place in the Eastern Conference and into the playoff positions.

Prior to the break for Leagues Cup — and Messi’s arrival along with Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba — Miami were winless in 11 games in MLS with the worst record in the entire league.

In most leagues in the world, a team in that position would be focused purely on avoiding relegation from the top flight.

But MLS has no relegation and instead has a playoff system which could yet offer a way for the new-look Miami, under Argentine coach Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino, to compete for the title — MLS Cup.

The top nine finishers in each conference earn a spot in the playoffs with the top seven going into the first round, best of three series of games.

The eighth and ninth placed teams play each other in a single elimination ‘wild card’ match to get into the first round.

Miami are currently 14 points behind ninth place with 12 games left and so have little room for error in the remainder of the season.

But the form they have shown since the arrival of Messi and his two former Barcelona team-mates, unbeaten in eight games, albeit winning three of their knockout ties via penalties, suggests such a playoff push is not out of the question.

It will be a long slog to turn Inter’s MLS season around and adding to the difficulty of the task, Martino admitted after Wednesday’s shoot-out win over Cincinnati in the US Open Cup, that his star man was amongst those feeling the pace of their recent exertions.

“Both Leo and many other players are reaching an important physical limit and from today we will evaluate how we approach the next three matches,” he said.

“The fatigue is overcome with all the enthusiasm … I hope the team in the future could play better, but it’s very difficult to do that when you almost can’t rest,” he added.

It would not be a shock then, for one or more of Messi, Busquets and Alba, to start on the bench at Red Bull Arena on Saturday with Martino retaining the option to throw them on in the second half.

The Red Bulls are in 11th place in the East, 11 points ahead of Miami, and have their own hopes of clambering into the post-season.

Saturday’s games see Eastern Conference leaders Cincinnati host 2021 champions New York City, while in the West, top-placed St.Louis City, enjoying a dream first season in the league, are at Orlando City.

Defending champions Los Angeles FC travel to North Carolina to face Charlotte FC.

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Lionel Messi made a Hollywood start to his American adventure, scoring a last-second winner with a curling free-kick in his debut game for Inter Miami on Friday.

Deep in the fourth minute of stoppage time, with the Leagues Cup match against Mexican club Cruz Azul standing at 1-1, Lionel Messi won a free-kick just outside the box, in perfect range for his famous left foot.

The script had been written and Messi delivered his line perfectly.

The seven-times Ballon d’Or winner took a glance at the position of Cruz Azul goalkeeper Andres Gudino, then put his head down before curling his shot high to the keeper’s right and into the top corner to deliver the 2-1 triumph.

The capacity 20,000 crowd at Miami’s DRV PNK Stadium went wild, with some fans running onto the field before being apprehended by security. Smoke bombs in Miami’s trademark pink went off in the area behind the goal, occupied by the team’s most passionate supporters.

“We wanted to start like this by giving these people a victory,” said Messi.

“We knew that it was very important for us to start this championship in winning fashion and luckily we were able to do it in the end, and I am very happy,” he added.

Inter Miami are rock bottom of Major League Soccer and without a win in 11 games in league play, so Messi said the victory was sorely needed.

“It is a huge joy to get this first victory after how we have done in the league,” he said. “It is important to start winning, beyond the fact that it is another championship, for confidence it is very good to get victories.”

Inter Miami and Major League Soccer hope that the arrival of the Argentine World Cup winner and all-time great will transform the sport and push it into the American mainstream.

If Lionel Messi’s debut was any guide, the former Barcelona star still has plenty to offer.

Even before his wonderful goal he had looked sharp and alert, his touch belying the fact that until little over a week ago he was vacationing on a Caribbean beach with his family.

Sergio Busquets, the Spanish midfielder and former Barca team-mate, who has joined Lionel Messi for his American adventure, also made a strong impression after they both entered the contest in the 54th minute as part of a triple change with Venezuelan Josef Martinez.

Busquets showed his famous, almost telepathic understanding with Lionel Messi remains, after over two years apart from each other, with the midfielder delivering pieces from all angles into the Argentine’s feet.

But it was Lionel Messi’s magical finish that will remain long in the memories of Inter Miami fans.

He also made sure that the club’s co-owner David Beckham had a broad grin at the final whistle.

“To be honest, as soon as I saw the free kick given I thought this is the way it’s meant to end. Especially when you’ve got players like Leo and Sergio on the pitch, that’s what they produce,” said the former England midfielder.

“It’s so exciting tonight for our fans. All of these people that come down here to see Leo just step onto the pitch, let alone just do what he’s done. It’s a dream come true for everyone in this stadium to see.

“It’s such a moment for this country, such a moment for this league,” he said.

Lionel Messi became the biggest name signing in MLS’s history when he joined Miami after his contract with Paris Saint-Germain came to an end in June.

NBA great LeBron James, reality television star Kim Kardashian and tennis legend Serena Williams were among the stars who turned out.

Many fans were decked out in replica pink Miami shirts with Messi’s name and number 10 on the back. Others sported Messi masks and banners, one wore a goat mask in a nod to Messi’s Greatest Of All Time status.

There was some disappointment when the teams were announced with Messi on the bench and it was clear that plans had been made to celebrate his first start as fireworks exploded above the grandstands when the referee blew the whistle to start the encounter.

Against the run of play, after Cruz Azul wasted a series of chances, Miami took the lead in the 44th minute with a fine, low shot from Robert Taylor which flew off the post.

Lionel Messi and Busquets came in with that lead intact but saw the Mexicans draw level through a powerful drive from Uriel Antuna in the 65th minute.

Then came Messi’s moment, the perfect introduction to his new fans and his new country.

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Tag: Lionel Messi Inter Miami debut

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