Messi enters the 2nd half and as captain gives victory to Inter Miami

Even the most creative screenwriter in the world couldn’t write a better debut. There were countless times when the image of the game left the field and went to the bench.

In the game between Inter Miami and Cruz Azul, for the first round of the Leagues Cup, Messi was the center of attention, being more important than the match itself. The beginning of the trajectory of the Argentine star was among the reserves, but the Argentine entered the second half, took over the captaincy and resolved the match with a free kick.

From the bench, Messi alternated talking with his teammates, commenting on the game and laughing. At first, the Argentine star did not hide the tension. Inter Miami made a lot of mistakes and Cruz Azul pressed. Gradually the relaxation came and the number 10 of the team started to play with everyone who was close and celebrated Taylor’s goal, which opened the scoring in the 44th minute.

On the way back to the second half, Messi went with the reserves to warm up and made the crowd explode in celebration after just five minutes. Despite having commented that the Argentine had physical preparation for about 30 minutes, Tata Martino called the star and the first moment on the field wearing the Inter Miami shirt happened in the eighth minute.

On the field, the first ‘feat’ of the Argentine wearing the pink shirt of Inter Miami was to assume the captain’s belt. In the game, the number 10 and Busquets, who entered at the same moment as Messi, started to control the rhythm and led the crowd to delirium with each touch of the ball.

GAME WITH CRACK

With the score at 1-0 for Inter Miami, Messi went to the match and, different from what was expected, Cruz Azul grew. With the ball, the Mexicans sought to attack and tied the game with Antuna, in the 20th minute, with help from goalkeeper Callender.

The 1-1 draw made the crowd wake up in the stands. With Busquets commanding the midfield and Messi appearing in the attack, Inter Miami pressed and even scored in an opportunity with a pass from Messi to Martinez, but the impediment invalidated the bid.

But the best was for last. At 47, Messi was fouled near the edge of the area. The crowd rose to their feet for what could be their last chance for a winning goal. In the penalty kick, the number 10 of Inter Miami put his hand in the corner and scored his first goal playing in the United States.

STARS

Since he was announced by Inter Miami, Messi has changed the level of football in the United States and in the cities he has visited. According to Inter Miami owner Jorge Mas, the demand for the team’s season tickets has increased tenfold and has accelerated operations to increase the stadium’s capacity.

Despite starting on the bench, Messi’s presence in Fort Lauderdale has seen some of the sport’s stars flock to the city. LeBron James, who is one of the greatest basketball players of all time, went to the match and got a hug from the Argentine before the game.

In addition to Lebron, Serena Williams, one of the references of world women’s tennis, and David Beckham, a former player and one of those responsible for Messi being at Inter Miami, were also at the stadium to see the Argentine’s debut.

WHAT IS THE LEAGUES CUP?

The Leagues Cup is a tournament that brings together teams from the United States, Canada and Mexico and will be played between July 21st and August 19th. The edition will feature 47 participating teams. LAFC and Pachuca, champions of the MLS Cup and Liga MX in 2022, will automatically enter the Round of 16. The other teams compete in the first phase divided into groups of three teams and the first two from each group advance to the knockout phase.