Lionel Messi once again made the difference for Inter Miami by scoring a double and giving an assist in the victory against Nashville SC in the MLS.
At the beginning of the match, when the second minute of play had not even been completed, the visitor hit with a corner kick that deflected in Franco Negri, member of an entirely Argentine defense, with Marcelo Weigandt, Tomás Avilés and Nicolás Fraire; This involuntary touch dislocated goalkeeper Drake Callender.
Messi, the great figure of MLS. Getty Images
But the slap that Gaza received was about to be doubled. Only the crossbar saved the local team, asleep in defense, from Josh Bauer’s shot on a second play. At that moment, the fans began to push the team, disapproving of the initial performance.
ESPN on Star+ arrived in Latin America!
All ESPN content can be enjoyed via streaming with Star+. Subscribe NOW.
Editorial Selections
2 Related
And the advantage that Inter Miami has is, simply, having the best player in the world. A kind of handicap, as shown day by day in Major League Soccer.
To the 11 minutesthe Argentine star He teamed up with Luis Suárezyour friend and companion, He entered the area at high speed and lost the first round with goalkeeper Elliot Panicco, but beat him after Suárez himself finished close – technically it was an assist – and the rebound was served to him.
From that moment on, Messi became a headache for Nashville’s defense. In the same first half, for example, he had a shot hit the post, forced a great save from Panicco, after another combination with El Pistolero, and sent millimeter crosses for his teammates.
And precisely this is how the comeback goal came: at 39 minutes, On the 10th he sent a dangerous corner for Sergio Busquets to comb it at the near post and score his first goal in Inter Miami.
Although Tata Martino’s team suffers a lot in defense, as was evident in Toto Avilés’ double save and as was clear, for example, in the tie against Rayados de Monterrey, it also makes a lot of difference from midfield to forward. The bad news from the initial stage? The injury to Diego Gómez, who left the field on a stretcher after 40 minutes.
During the complement, Messi continued to be the leader of the team and, mainly, lifting the stadium in each intervention. About the hour, at 81′, he sealed the game with a penalty goal, in which Panicco went the other way, but his influence on Martino’s team is total.
On the Nashville side, which has barely 7 points in 8 games and is second to last in the Eastern Conference, just a few goals and distant shots from Hany Mukhtar, the German who was MLS MVP in 2022.
Inter Miami, for its part, added its second win in a row, again with the Argentine star as a figure, definitively leaving behind the double loss against Rayados, and confirmed itself as the leader of the conference. Las Garzas accumulate 18 points in 10 games, surpassing the New York Red Bulls (15 points, but 8 games) and Cincinnati (15 in 9). Philadelphia, with 7 games played, has 13.
