CARSON, Calif. – Crammed into an unceremonious corner of the Dignity Health Sports Park press box on Sunday, MLS Commissioner Don Garber held an impromptu media availability minutes before the start of the season's first home game. of the LA Galaxy against Inter Miami.
The topics varied, but it was clear that there was one idea that Garber wanted to convey from the beginning: the importance of Sunday's game and how it came full circle.
“To me, this has a lot to do with where we were in 2007 and where we are today,” he said. “Someone, probably one of you, wrote this article or a headline that said, 'Will David Beckham change the course of soccer in America?' He didn't just do it once; he did it twice.”
Garber is right. Last summer, former Galaxy player and current Miami co-owner Beckham paved the golden path that led to MLS signing arguably the best player to ever play the sport: Lionel Messi. And his own high-profile introduction to the league with the Galaxy in 2007 started things.
So, aged 31, Beckham's unexpected venture into America turned out to be a huge success, and it is no coincidence that increases in club valuations, player salaries and media deals followed. Due to a unique clause within his Galaxy contract, the former England captain also had the opportunity to co-own a team once he retired, leading to the debut of his Inter Miami franchise in 2020. Messi, with its own set of players unique financial incentives, was conquered by the Miami project.
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Lionel Messi equalizes Inter Miami's match in the 92nd minute
Lionel Messi scores after a pass from Jordi Alba to tie the game 1-1 against LA Galaxy.
In the same way that world soccer's attention was focused on MLS when Beckham arrived, “Messi-mania” has hit the United States on an even greater level through jersey sales, media attention and growth of social networks during the last eight months. And with no sign of the fervor waning, Sunday's highly anticipated game (with Beckham in attendance) marked the first time the Galaxy hosted Miami since the Argentine signed in July.
It was difficult to look anywhere without seeing the name of the World Cup winner. Near the Beckham statue outside the stadium, countless children and families wearing Messi uniforms milled about excitedly before the match. An undeniable buzz ran through the crowd of 27,642 and provided the energy normally found during a championship game or final. A fan, carrying a large sign asking for a Miami jersey for the game, he told ESPN that he had sold his car for $2,000 to help pay his fine.
Here at Dignity Health Sports Park for LA Galaxy vs Inter Miami. I met this fan who told me that he sold his car for $2000 to get tickets to the game.
(Just in case, the other side of the sign is in Spanish) pic.twitter.com/vQGrTDSRTV
— César Hernández (@cesarhfutbol) February 25, 2024
From a financial and marketing standpoint, the match was another home run in a growing list of Messi-related MLS matches that are emerging as soccer Super Bowls in their own right. According to a vendor working a booth at Dignity Health Sports Park, the cheapest ticket available two hours before kickoff was set at $650.
But on the field, it remains difficult to say whether Messi will be able to help Miami progress in his first full season, or whether he will mirror the problems Beckham had in his early years with the Galaxy, where he needed time to adapt. before winning their MLS Cup titles in 2011 and 2012.
Days after Miami opened the season with a 2-0 home win against Real Salt Lake that was far from comfortable, Messi & Co. looked second for most of Sunday's 1-1 draw with the Galaxy. Of course, they maintained their unbeaten start and Messi secured another signature moment with a dramatic equalizer in the 92nd minute, but Miami still finished the week with more questions than answers about their star players.
Striker Luis Suárez was hanging around on Sunday, without making any real impact; midfielder Sergio Busquets was susceptible in counterattacks; and while Messi will receive plaudits for his late equalizer, the real man of the match for Miami was goalkeeper Drake Callender. If not for his heroics, which included an early penalty save in the first half, things could have turned ugly for Miami.
“It's something similar that happened in many games last year,” coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino said after the game. “He was decisive again, he saved the penalty, he blocked some goal situations.”
The entire result could also have changed if the Galaxy had not been down to 10 players moments before Messi's equalizer, when midfielder Marky Delgado was sent off afterward. a couple of questionable yellow cards.
“Very, very soft. I mean, very soft,” Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said of the calls, which notably were handed down by a substitute referee due to the ongoing referee lockout in MLS. “It's difficult in a game like this, where there are so many people here to watch the game and it's also a big spectacle, you have to be careful when handing out soft yellow cards, and in the end that changes the game.”
This was called as a second yellow.. 🥲 pic.twitter.com/067n0Tnw7D
– herculez gomez (@herculezg) February 26, 2024
Miami's players clearly weren't happy with how things went for the most part either. When he was substituted in the 67th minute, Suárez angrily hit an unidentified object that was launched towards the team bench. Messi, unhappy with the lack of speed in the build-up to the game, openly berated his teammate Tomás Avilés for not giving him the ball in time.
Moments like these should be taken with a grain of salt, but as mentioned above, Beckham also had similar issues. Like the Argentine, he arrived mid-season to much fanfare in his debut tournament, but suffered injury problems that limited him to just a handful of appearances in the first year. Beckham, who was loaned twice to AC Milan from the Galaxy, took some time to find his footing in MLS. Could the same thing happen to Messi?
Making sweeping judgments about how things might go in 2024 is premature regarding Messi, but if Beckham showed that it is possible to thrive in MLS, he also showed that it is not a given that will happen from the beginning. As for MLS itself, we will see how it can capitalize on Messi's presence. While the league is obviously gaining a lot by having the World Cup champion, it is also doing so with blemishes along the way.
Back at the media availability with Garber before the game, the league commissioner attempted to put an optimistic spin on the league's labor dispute with the referees by highlighting the opportunities given to their last-minute replacements. According to Garber, another negotiation session is expected with the Professional Football Referees Association, which recently rejected ratification of a proposed collective bargaining agreement. Questions were also raised about the correct approach to the squad rules, which may or may not lead to more Messi-like signings.
“I'm leaving here and going to Miami, I'm 12 [club] owners, this is a little bit of news, spending two days working on how we should think about our roster rules going forward,” Garber said.
Behind the scenes, there is also the still-unresolved issue of the U.S. Open Cup, which MLS attempted to withdraw from last December after announcing that only reserve teams, and not first teams, would participate in the domestic cup. competence. Even dealing with the preseason has become a controversial talking point after Miami scoured the world for just one win in seven friendlies this winter, while also finding a way to anger foreign audiences in the process.
Whether it's Miami in its first full season with its new number 10 or MLS at the start of a new year, it will be interesting to see if either of them will take the right approach in what is now a full-fledged Messi era. .
Sunday's game was a well-deserved celebration of MLS coming full circle, but time will tell if Miami or MLS will find the right way to utilize the leadership they currently have.
