FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Late in the first half of Inter Miami's 2-0 win against Real Salt Lake on Wednesday, Lionel Messi found himself receiving a poor clearance from RSL goalkeeper Zac MacMath. As MacMath climbed towards his goal from the edge of the area, Messi collected the ball about seven meters outside the area and headed towards the right side.
The volume inside the stadium increased rapidly, as did most of the fans who were not already standing. There was a collective sense of anticipation that a magical moment was about to be conjured.
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (US)
Messi cut the ball to his preferred left, but did not have a shooting angle near the top of the area. He had to keep dribbling, except he ran into a dead end: RSL defenders on either side of him and another, Andrew Brody, lying on the ground in pain in front of him.
0:38
Messi dribbles past a defender on the field
Lionel Messi is capable of shooting even after dribbling past a defender who is on the field.
Then, naturally, Messi calmly lifted the ball over Brody's prone body and fired from inside the box. He was blocked, but the sequence sums up what makes him so special: at any given moment, he could accomplish something that few people who have ever played the game would have the audacity to attempt.
After the referee stopped play to allow Brody to receive medical attention, the Apple TV+ broadcast showed a shot of Messi with a joyful smile on his face. So close. “I saw [Messi] very free, very precise,” said Inter Miami coach Tata Martino. “A lot of speed. He has something that doesn't happen with other players around the world. He can take the ball even very far from the opponent's goal and generate the feeling that the ball will end in a scoring opportunity.”
With the off-season addition of 37-year-old Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez, who accompanied Messi for six years at Barcelona and spent last season at Gremio in Brazil, there are clear expectations in South Florida that the team will be one of the most prolific scorers. Teams in MLS history.
However, Wednesday's performance left much to be desired.
Inter Miami was in complete control for most of the first half, but even then, that dominance didn't result in many truly dangerous chances. Robert Taylor received a pass from Messi to score the first goal in the 39th minute, but it was a shot that goalkeeper MacMath should have saved relatively easily.
0:51
Messi gives a pass to Robert Taylor for Inter Miami's first goal
Inter Miami takes a 1-0 lead in the first half when Lionel Messi finds Robert Taylor, who fires a shot past the goalkeeper and scores the goal.
And in the second half, Miami looked tired. Perhaps that was partly a result of the 24,000 miles the team traveled around the world on its preseason tour. Part of this could simply be early-season fitness or even RSL's growth in the game after initially being bullied by Messi and his “superstar friends,” which include former Barcelona teammates Sergio Busquets (35 ) and Jordi Alba (34) along with Suárez.
Whatever the reason, Miami's ability to maintain a high level of intensity late in games is a valid cause for concern, especially considering that Messi and Suarez's reluctance to defend will require even more effort from the rest of the team. Despite all the star power the team has, Martino will need to rely heavily on his bench to finish games.
“We need to find that when we make changes, the team's performance must remain the same,” Martino said after the match. “Today was not like that, because the team did not get worse because of the changes, but because we started the second half badly and made many mistakes going back, but having the full squad always generates another type of confidence.” for absolutely everything.”
Even after RSL failed to capitalize on several careless passes from Miami, there was still a feeling for large stretches of the second half that a tying goal was looming. Miami was cooked and RSL remained in the lead.
But, of course, there is always magic to resort to.
0:29
Diego Gómez ends the Inter Miami match with a late goal
Inter Miami does it beautifully as Luis Suarez finds Diego Gomez for a late Inter Miami goal and a 2-0 lead.
In the 83rd minute, Messi received a pass just over the midfield line, dribbled outside the goal of the penalty area and passed to Suárez, who found Diego Gómez with his first touch to seal the victory with a second goal.
For Martino, the run Messi was able to make, so deep into the game, was instructive.
“Making the wall he did at the end dribbling with his left, driving on the right side, very close to the end of the game after such an exhausting game,” Martino said. “You can see that he is well, that he is motivated and that he feels good physically.”
It's an encouraging observation from Martino because fitness and motivation were always thought to be the only things that could potentially hold Messi back in MLS. If he is motivated and healthy, Inter Miami will continue to see appointments.
