Tag: Lionel Messi

Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi were on target as Inter Miami marched into the last eight of the CONCACAF Champions Cup with a 3-1 (5-3 aggregate) win over Nashville on Wednesday.

Messi set up Suarez for the eighth-minute opener and then the Argentine found the target himself in the 23rd minute.

But the eight-times Ballon d’Or winner was substituted in the 50th minute before his replacement Robert Taylor made sure of the victory with a 63rd-minute header.

Inter Miami coach Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino said Messi’s withdrawal, when he did not appear to limp or be in discomfort, was due to a concern about his hamstring.

“He has an overload in his right hamstring. So we didn’t want to take any risks. We tried to see if he could hold on a bit longer but it was bothering him and we preferred to take him out of the game,” he said.

“I imagine that for Saturday’s game (at D.C. United) he is not going to be available,” said Martino.

Inter Miami, playing in the competition for the first time, will face the winner of Thursday’s second leg between Mexico’s Monterrey and MLS’s FC Cincinnati in the quarter-finals.

The Liga MX team are at home and leads 1-0 from the first leg.

The first leg in Tennessee had seen Nashville take a two-goal lead before goals from Messi and Suarez inspired a comeback for a 2-2 draw.

And it was the former Barcelona pair that proved to be the difference again as Miami took control from the outset.

Messi had an early opportunity when he was brought down on the edge of the box, providing him with a free-kick from a central position but his shot struck the wall.

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But minutes later, Messi created the opener, splitting the Nashville defence with a perfect pass to Suarez whose exquisite finish, with the outside of his right foot, matched the precision of the assist.

While the veteran quartet of Barcelona players in the Miami team, also including Spaniards Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, grab the attention, the young midfield workhouse Diego Gomez has become increasingly influential.

It was the Paraguayan’s aggressive running that created the second goal, in the 23rd minute, when Gomez drove aggressively into the box and then smartly slipped inside to Messi who buried the ball, first time, into the corner.

It was Messi’s fifth goal in five games in all competitions this season. Suarez has scored four in six games.

Nashville had created little but they offered a wake-up call to Miami keeper Drake Callender when Daniel Lovitz blasted a left-foot volley against the post.

Miami coach Gerardo Martino brought Messi off for Taylor five minutes after the interval, with no visible sign of an injury for the Argentine.

The departure of the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner gave Nashville a lift and they began to attack with real intent. Callender had to pull off a fine save at point-blank range to deny Lukas MacNaughton.

But any hint of a Nashville comeback was snuffed out when Suarez turned provider with a delightful chip into the box towards Taylor who angled home his header to make it 3-0

Nashville’s Hany Mukhtar had an effort disallowed for offside before English striker Sam Surridge added a late consolation.

Earlier Costa Rica’s Herediano secured passage to the last eight with a 1-1 draw at Surinam’s Robinhood enough to give them a 3-1 aggregate win.

Wednesday’s later game is an all-Mexican clash with Club America defending a 3-0 first-leg advantage at home to Chivas Guadalajara.

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Lionel Messi created both goals as Inter Miami made a winning start to the new Major League Soccer (MLS) season with a 2-0 victory over Real Salt Lake on Wednesday.

The Argentine World Cup winner, who played the entire game, put aside any concerns about his early season fitness with an excellent performance for the bookmakers’ title favourites.

“He looked loose, fine and showed a lot of speed,” coach Gerardo Martino said of Messi, who missed the back end of last season for Inter Miami with injuries and was also sidelined for part of the pre-season.

The other three members of Miami’s former Barcelona quartet, debutant Luis Suarez, midfielder Sergio Busquets and left-back Jordi Alba, all started in front of a capacity crowd.

Against a cautious Salt Lake side, Messi went close to opening the scoring in the 18th minute with a curling free-kick from 30 yards out which was headed off the line by Justen Glad.

He then brought huge cheers from the crowd when, on the edge of the box, his route was blocked by a player down on the floor, but he chipped the ball over him and let loose a shot which was blocked.

But Miami got in front when Spaniard Sergio Busquets found Messi and the eight-times Ballon d’Or winner cleverly slipped the ball through to Finnish forward Robert Taylor, whose low shot beat RSL keeper Zac MacMath.

The goalkeeper should have kept the effort out but it was a goal which forced the visitors to open up after the interval and their more aggressive approach caused Inter some problems.

Cristian Arango blasted a half-chance high over the bar for Salt Lake and then, after Busquets sloppily gave the ball away, Andres Gomez burst goalwards but the Colombian winger fired wide.

The Utah side should have made more of the space they found as Miami struggled in the early stages of the second half but paid the price for a lack of precision.

Sensing his team needed another goal or two to make sure of the points, Messi upped his work rate and began to take control of the game.

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Dropping deeper to collect the ball, he launched several attacks with his own swift bursts forward allied with his trademark close control.

The 36-year-old weaved down the inside left channel to find space for a cross to the back post to Julian Gressel but the German put his effort wide from the tight angle.

Then Lionel Messi burst again from deep and found Suarez who picked out Diego Gomez and the Paraguayan midfielder buried his shot low into the far corner to make it 2-0.

That trio almost combined again for a third with Messi slipping to Gomez who then served Suarez but the Uruguayan’s effort was saved by the outstretched leg of MacMath.

Martino was delighted to see two of the lesser heralded members of his cast on target.

“This is what should happen with a team. Normally Luis and Leo would be the ones most associated with the goal, but the fact that Robert and Diego have converted and (Messi and Suarez) have been the assistants is always a positive thing,” he said.

The former Argentina, Mexico and Barcelona coach said he was sure that Messi and Suarez would be able to recapture some of the magic they had shown during their seasons at the Camp Nou.

“They know each other so well but we have to find that partnership that worked already in Barcelona,” he said.

For Taylor, who enjoyed a rich spell of form immediately after Lionel Messi joined the club and was a key part of the team which won the Leagues Cup, it was a positive opening to the campaign.

“It’s the start we wanted, I mean, there’s still some things that we need to work on. Obviously, it’s the first game of the season, but the positive thing is the three points and we’ll build on this,” he said.

Inter Miami return to action on Sunday at Los Angeles Galaxy.

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Lionel Messi and Inter Miami get the new Major League Soccer (MLS) season underway on Wednesday with pressure on the Argentine star to deliver trophies for his club and more eyeballs on the league.

The World Cup winner joined Inter from Paris Saint Germain in mid-July, the biggest name ever to move to MLS and his signing caused a massive spurt in interest in American soccer.

The eight-times and current Ballon d’Or winner, made an instant impact, leading Miami to the Leagues Cup title, packing stadiums and massively increasing subscriptions to Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass broadcast package.

But the excitement waned as Lionel Messi struggled to maintain his fitness in the face of a hectic schedule and Inter Miami were unable to overcome their poor early season results and make the playoffs.

Then Inter’s decision to undertake a gruelling overseas pre-season tour backfired with Messi and the team booed in Hong Kong after the star sat out a high-profile friendly due to injury.

Poor performances added to the sense that money-spinning trips to El Salvador, Saudi Arabia and Japan had been a mis-step for a team looking to hit the ground running this season.

A long and busy season awaits for Messi and his team-mates who as well as competing in MLS, have qualified for the regional CONCACAF Champions Cup.

Miami will also aim to defend their Leagues Cup title — against Mexican as well as MLS opposition — and all those challenges come in a summer which will include Argentina’s bid for the Copa America in the USA.

Messi has been joined in Miami by another veteran striker in Uruguayan Luis Suarez, making up a quartet of former Barcelona players with midfielder Sergio Busquets and left-back Jordi Alba.

No MLS team has ever been able to draw on players of such pedigree and experience and with that comes the expectation that they will land the club’s first MLS title.

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Lionel Messi is well used to such pressure but it is a new sensation for some of the younger players in Gerardo Martino’s squad.

Shanyder Borgelin, the 22-year-old striker who scored in last week’s home friendly against Argentine club Newells Old Boys, says the team can cope with the high expectations.

“That’s expected when you have the greatest player in the world, four of the greatest players in the world, but I think we’re ready,” he told the Miami Herald.

“We are all called up to a big task. I definitely think the (preseason) losses and everything that comes with that made us a lot stronger,” he added.

Miami kick-off their campaign on Wednesday at home to Real Salt Lake with the rest of the league getting underway on Saturday.

Defending champions Columbus Crew start their title defense at home to Atlanta United with their French coach Wilfried Nancy looking to maintain the momentum of a playoff campaign which ended in victory over Los Angles FC.

LAFC, the 2022 MLS Cup winners, host Western Conference rivals the Seattle Sounders in the biggest clash of the opening weekend.

LAFC have lost four regular starters from last season’s team including Italian Giorgio Chiellini, who has retired.

But Steve Cherundolo’s side have added a World Cup winner of their own with France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris joining from Tottenham Hotspur.

Top-scorer Denis Bouanga remains with the club despite reports he could head back to France but the future of the team’s talismanic Mexican forward Carlos Vela remains unclear.

The 34-year-old Vela is a free agent after his contract with the club was not yet renewed.

There are some new faces on the bench with former Aston Villa manager Dean Smith taking charge at Charlotte and Phil Neville, the former Manchester United player and ex-Inter Miami boss now at the Portland Timbers.

The opening games are set to be officiated by replacement referees after talks over a new collective deal between the refs union and the league’s Professional Referees Organization broke down.

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Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi returned to the starting lineup for the MLS club on Thursday in a 1-1 home draw with his Argentine boyhood club, Newell’s Old Boys.

It was an emotional match for the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, who supported Old Boys as a youth and played for them from 1995 to 2000 before joining Barcelona.

Messi was removed in the 60th minute, replaced by 22-year-old American Lawson Sunderland, but he delighted home fans ahead of next week’s start of the 2024 MLS campaign and Inter coach Gerardo Martino for his quality performance.

“I spoke to him after the game and he was fine. We had talked about playing between 45 and 60 minutes,” the Argentine coach said.

The 36-year-old striker, who sparked Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title, returned to Miami’s starting 11 after fighting through a groin injury that caused him to sit out a friendly in Hong Kong earlier this month.

Messi came off the bench in a later Inter Miami match in Japan but was back among the starters for the MLS club’s final pre-season match and in healthy form.

After a scoreless first half, Inter Miami grabbed a 1-0 lead on Shanyder Borgelin’s goal in the 64th minute.

The 22-year-old Haitian forward leapt high over a defender to nod home a perfect corner kick from Finnish midfielder Robert Taylor.

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Newell’s equalized on Argentine midfielder Franco Martin Diaz’s goal in the 83rd minute, a blast into the bottom right corner from the heart of the box.

It was an important night for other Argentine talent on Inter, and Martino.

“For many of us who have a very strong bond with Newell’s it was a special and nice game, a friendly to enjoy,” Martino said.

Mauricio Larriera, Newell’s coach, and the Old Boys felt much the same.

“Emotions had to be managed, something very important in these cases because ultimately it’s a football match,” Larriera said.

“In the case of Lionel Messi, all the boys were happy and with that sense of Argentine belonging, it was necessary to dose and manage not only the energy but also the emotional part.”

Inter Miami will play host to Real Salt Lake on Wednesday in the MLS regular-season opener after a global pre-season tour that saw the team struggle with injuries but ultimately build confidence for the upcoming season, Messi’s first full campaign with the Florida squad.

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Lionel Messi is expected to line up against his boyhood club Newell’s Old Boys after the Argentine team agreed to a pre-season friendly game at Inter Miami in February.

The Major League Soccer (MLS) club announced on Monday that they would host Newell’s Old Boys at their DRV PNK Stadium on February 15.

Newell’s Old Boys are based in the city of Rosario where Lionel Messi was born and grew up, playing for their youth team before moving to Spanish club Barcelona aged 13.

Inter coach Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino also hails from the city and played for the club in three spells before returning as the team’s coach in 2012.

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“I am delighted to welcome my beloved Newell’s to our home here in Miami. It will be a special match due to everything Newell’s Old Boys means to me,” Martino said.

“It will also be a good opportunity to prepare for what will surely be an exciting season,” he added.

The fixture is the latest in a busy pre-season schedule for Miami who will kick off the preparations by facing the El Salvador national team in San Salvador on January 19.

The club will then play two games in Saudi Arabia, including against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr, before games in Hong Kong and Tokyo.

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There will be no Hollywood ending to Lionel Messi’s first season in Major League Soccer (MLS) after his Inter Miami team were eliminated from contention for the playoffs after a 1-0 defeat at home to FC Cincinnati on Saturday.

DC United also missed out on a spot in the post-season and immediately announced that their English manager, former Manchester United star Wayne Rooney, was leaving his post by “mutual agreement”.

Messi returned from injury as a substitute in the 55th minute but Cincinnati, who have earned top seed in the playoffs, grabbed the win with a goal from Argentine Alvaro Barreal.

Messi made little impact on the field and although he had two free-kick opportunities within his shooting range, both his efforts sailed harmlessly wide.

“I could see that he was lacking football (game time),” said Miami head coach Gerardo Martino.

“The injury is fine, he doesn’t have any problems, but (his performance was) logical because in recent times he has played very little and it could happen that he is lacking in rhythm, which is also why he only played 32 or 33 minutes,” he added.

With other results going against Miami, Messi’s side were left next to bottom of the Eastern Conference, seven points off the last playoff spot with just two games remaining.

Messi had played just 37 minutes for his club since September 3, having returned with an injury from international duty with Argentina last month.

Without him Miami struggled, paying the price for their successful run to the Leagues Cup title in August when Messi lit up the tournament and collected his first trophy since joining the club in July.

Saturday’s loss was the second straight for Miami following their 4-1 crushing at Chicago on Wednesday and Martino’s team have won just once in their last six MLS games.

Messi had played in the only win in that stretch, coming off in the first half of their 4-0 win over bottom club Toronto.

After the Leagues Cup triumph in Nashville on August 19, there was talk of Miami adding two more trophies this season but, without Messi, they lost their US Open Cup final to Houston and then faded out of contention in the league.

“Honestly, I expected the season to be exactly the opposite of what happened,” said Martino, who took over just before Messi’s arrival.

“My expectations were to put the group together, shape it football-wise, not transcend too much in the Leagues Cup, compete well in the Cup (US Open Cup) and qualify for the playoffs, but it was exactly the opposite as it usually happens when a coach thinks something,” he said.

“Out of three possible tournaments we have won one, it is a very important fact for us because the league has 28 other teams. Houston and we won, whoever wins the league will be the third winner and there will be 25 others who will not have won. From that point of view, we’re happy,” he said.

Miami’s final two games are both against Charlotte with the last on the road on October 21. It remains to be seen if Messi, who has been called up for Argentina’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers, will feature.

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Inter Miami shrugged off an injury concern to Lionel Messi to boost their Major League Soccer playoff hopes with a 4-0 thrashing of Toronto FC on Wednesday.

Messi returned to the starting line-up after skipping Saturday’s 5-2 defeat at Atlanta due to muscle fatigue but left the field in the 38th minute looking uncomfortable.

His former Barcelona team-mate, Spaniard Jordi Alba who had also sat out the trip to Atlanta, also limped off three minutes earlier in the game.

Inter Miami coach Gerardo Martino said the pair are now ruled out for Sunday’s Florida derby with Orlando City and was uncertain about their involvement in next week’s US Open Cup final.

“We have to go day by day, see the doctor’s report, what they tell us and we will decide. Obviously, there is no ‘chance’ that they will be there on Sunday,” he said.

“I don’t think it’s anything new or bigger than what they had been having. It’s just fatigue, I don’t think there is a muscular injury,” he said, defending the decision to play them.

“Everything was in place for the players to play … There is no possibility (that they were pressured to play). If we made them play it was because they were fit to play.”

“After talking to them, I don’t have the same pessimism I had when I had to take them out,” he said.

Despite the blow of losing their star and one of their most influential players, Inter Miami swept aside the Eastern Conference’s bottom club with ease, Messi’s replacement Robert Taylor scoring twice after coming on.

Facundo Farias opened the scoring on the stroke of half-time with a blistering volley after Toronto keeper Tomas Romero had meekly palmed out a Noah Allen cross.

Taylor then made it 2-0 in the 54th minute with an outstanding individual strike, dribbling across the box from the left before unleashing a sharply angled drive back into the bottom corner.

Taylor then turned provider, releasing another substitute Benjamin Cremaschi who fired through the legs of Romero to make it 3-0.

Finland international Taylor completed his impactful performance with the fourth, bringing down a floated pass over the top from Farias and blasting home from close range.

Inter Miami moved up to 13th in the Eastern Conference and are now just five points off Wayne Rooney’s D.C. United who occupy ninth spot, the final playoff position. Inter Miami have two games in hand.

D.C United were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Atlanta while other results were also favourable for Inter Miami.

Charlotte, who Inter Miami have to play twice, are now just two points ahead of the Florida side after they let a two-goal lead slip in a 2-2 draw at home to Philadelphia, conceding a stoppage-time penalty which was converted by Daniel Gazdag. The draw guaranteed Philadelphia a place in the playoffs.

The Columbus Crew also secured their place in the playoffs beating the Chicago Fire 3-0 with Colombian Cucho Hernandez scoring all three inside 23 minutes — the second fastest hattrick from the start in MLS history.

Tenth-placed New York City kept their playoff hopes alive with a 2-0 win at home to second-placed Orlando City. Despite the defeat, Orlando are now sure of a place in the post-season.

Eastern Conference leaders Cincinnati needed a goal deep in stoppage time from Argentina Luciano Acosta to earn a point at eighth-placed Montreal.

In the Western Conference, leaders St.Louis City were held to a 0-0 draw at home to champions Los Angeles FC but it was still enough to clinch their postseason berth.

The Seattle Sounders moved above LAFC by a point thanks to their 2-1 win at Colorado thanks to a fine strike from Leo Chu and a powerful header from Albert Rusnak.

English striker Billy Sharp scored a hat-trick for Los Angeles Galaxy as they came back from 3-1 down to beat Minnesota United 4-3.

The 37-year-old former Sheffield United forward now has six goals from his opening six games in MLS.

Sharp completed his hat-trick in the 71st minute and moments later Minnesota had English defender Ethan Bristow dismissed for a second yellow card. Diego Fagundez grabbed the winner for the Galaxy in the 82nd minute.

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Lionel Messi is suffering from “muscle fatigue” and will not be rushed back, Inter Miami coach Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino said on Saturday after his team’s playoff hopes suffered a blow with a 5-2 thrashing at Atlanta United.

Messi and his former Barcelona team-mate Jordi Alba both sat out the game with Martino saying it would have been “very reckless” for the Argentine to play in Atlanta.

Martino said that his focus was on having his team ready for the September 27th final of the US Open Cup when Miami host Houston as they look for their second trophy of the season.

“They will train tomorrow (Sunday) and we will see day by day. Nothing changes our outlook on how he (Messi) will train. We have no urgency,” said the former Barcelona and Argentina coach.

Miami faces Toronto, the only team below them in the Eastern Conference, at home in MLS action on Wednesday.

“If he is well and confident he can get to play and if this doesn’t happen he will wait a few more days,” Martino said.

Miami’s loss was their first in 12 games in all competitions since Messi and Spanish pair Alba and Sergio Busquets joined the team in July.

The defeat makes it tougher for Miami to climb into the top nine in the East which would ensure qualification for the playoffs.

“This defeat hurts us and reduces our chances but it is not decisive,” said Martino, who said the US Open Cup remains a priority.

“The final is one game. It’s very tempting to go for a title,” Martino said.

“We started the (playoff) race very far back, we are not going to abandon it but our sights are set on the (Cup final on the) 27th,” he said.

The 36-year-old Messi had also sat out Argentina’s World Cup qualifier against Bolivia in La Paz on Tuesday but he travelled and watched his team-mates from the bench.

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A trademark, curling free-kick from Lionel Messi got world champions Argentina off to a winning start in South American World Cup qualifying on Thursday with a 1-0 victory at home to Ecuador.

Colombia beat Venezuela 1-0 while 10-man Peru held on for a 0-0 draw at Paraguay as the long journey of South American qualifying for the 2026 World Cup got underway.

Lionel Messi, who led Argentina to their third World Cup triumph in Qatar in December, has yet to confirm whether he will continue with his national side all the way to 2026, but he showed his importance yet again with the breakthrough in what had threatened to be a frustrating night for Lionel Scaloni’s team.

Lautaro Martinez won a free-kick in a central area in the 78th minute, just outside the Ecuador penalty area and Lionel Messi executed to perfection with his effort floating over the wall and dipping perfectly to beat the stationary Hernan Galindez.

With the goal, Messi drew level with former Barcelona teammate Luis Suarez of Uruguay as the all-time leading scorers in the South American qualifiers, both with 29 goals.

The Albiceleste had dominated possession against an Ecuador side which defended in numbers and limited their attacks to the occasional break on the counter.

The first opening of the game fell to Lionel Messi in the 16th minute when he was found on the edge of the box but put his side-foot effort wide of the post.

Just before the break, Lautaro Martinez went closer when he slid in to meet Rodrigo De Paul and his shot struck the post.

Lionel Messi worked himself an opening in the 69th minute but his low shot was weakly struck and was comfortably dealt with by Galindez.

But the 80,000 crowd in the Estadio Monumental were brought to their feet by Messi’s goal and from then on it was smooth sailing for Argentina.

De Paul, who was excellent throughout, dribbled across from the right setting up substitute Angel Di Maria but his effort was just wide.

Then De Paul brought a fine save out of Galindez near the end with a close-range blast at the near post.

“Ecuador showed they have very good players, that they are physically strong and that they are clear about what they do,” Messi said.

“We know that in every game we have to give one hundred percent to pull it off. But we showed…that this group will not relax beyond what they achieved, which is something historic and extraordinary,” he added.

“We have to be aware that we enjoyed everything a lot, but what we did is over. We have to look ahead,” said the seven-times Ballon d’Or winner.

A 46th-minute header from Rafael Santos Borre, from a pinpoint Jhon Arias cross, was enough to earn three points for Colombia in Barranquilla.

The victory ensured a winning start for the new Colombia coach, Argentine Nestor Lorenzo, who was taking charge of his first competitive game.

Colombia failed to qualify for last year’s World Cup in Qatar while Venezuela are hoping to earn their first-ever appearance in a World Cup finals.

Peru’s difficult task in Ciudad del Este became harder after they lost defender Luis Advíncula on the stroke of half-time when he was dismissed for a second yellow card.

But they held on for a point in what was a pulsating, high-tempo encounter.

The qualification process for the expanded 48-team World Cup, to be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico, offers two extra places for South America with six teams qualifying directly.

The seventh out of the 10 nations will head to an inter-continental play-off.

On Friday, five-time World Cup winners Brazil face Bolivia while Uruguay host Chile.

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Lionel Messi came off the bench and scored as Inter Miami began their push for the Major League Soccer playoffs with a 2-0 win at New York Red Bulls on Saturday.

After a week in which Miami won the Leagues Cup and reached the final of the US Open Cup, Messi was left on the bench by coach Gerard “Tata” Martino but came into the game on the hour mark.

The Argentine World Cup winner had limited involvement after entering with former Barcelona team-mate Sergio Busquets but made his mark on his regular season debut with an 89th-minute goal.

Jordi Alba acrobatically hooked the ball into the box to Messi who twisted and turned then slipped a sublime pass with the outside of his foot to Benjamin Cremaschi whose low first-time cross was tapped in by the seven-times Ballon d’Or winner.

Messi has now scored 11 goals in nine appearances in all competitions since joining Inter Miami.

“He’s unbelievable, every day it’s something new, on and off the field,” said Miami’s 19-year-old defender Noah Allen.

“He’s an amazing person to play with and I am so blessed to play with him.”

Martino had indicated that several of his players needed a break after an intense run of eight games within a month and stuck to his word with his team selection, to the disappointment of the capacity crowd at Red Bull Arena.

There were chants of ‘We want Messi’ at regular stages throughout the game which was also shown on a giant screen in Times Square.

A makeshift Miami had taken the lead in the 37th minute when Noah Allen played in a cross from the left and Paraguayan Diego Gomez was given time to turn and then slot home a left-foot effort.

Miami keeper Drake Callender had to make a series of saves to keep his side in the lead but with Red Bull pressure mounting, Martino opted to bring on his star man and the momentum of the game inevitably shifted.

The win lifts Miami off the bottom of the Eastern Conference and reduces the gap to the last playoff sport to 11 points with 11 games remaining.

Martino defended his decision to start his 36-year-old compatriot on the bench despite the hopes of the crowd.

“I understand the desire of the people who want him to play, this will happen everywhere we go,” he said.

“But as the coach, I cannot be guided by those fans’ desires. My job is to make sure Leo takes care of himself,” he said.

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