Undeniably, Lionel Messi, David Beckham, Thierry Henry, and Zlantan Ibrahimovic have been prominent names when it comes to MLS and boosting its presence. While it was Pele who joined the North American Soccer League’s New York Cosmos, it was 48 years later that history was enriched once more.
Credited to this fact, the match between Inter Miami CF and New York Red Bulls was an anticipated one. However, it did not only cater to the excitement of fans but also helped melt away the 11-match league winless ice. Again, two illustrious players who led this winning campaign included Messi and Gómez.
Dazzling goal of Lionel Messi
It so happened in the last few minutes of an incredible match where Messi took the ball and showcased the talent he possesses. In the 89th minute, he struck the ball and took Miami to a 2-0 win. Even the team defender Kamal Miller had an interesting insight to portray concerning Messi’s dominant presence on the field. He said,
“It’s tough to stay focused when you have such a great presence.”
Kamal Miller
However, before the Argentina footballer joined his crew in the 60th minute, it was Diego Gomez who had made one goal. This shot came in through the buildup made by Jordi Alba. Additionally, Messi was joined by Sergio Busquets, the veteran footballer who has been the 36 year old’s former teammate in Barcelona.
How did the goal transpire across the field?
Earlier, Messi faced a failed shot as he was unable to convert his strike into a score. Thus, this soared high the anticipation as the 7-time Ballon d’Or winner took a kick in the 88th minute from 21 yards. Alas! It was blocked again by the defence.
However, as Miami dominated the midfield, Busquets shot the ball across to Alba. The latter used the side of his foot to move the ball to Messi. The Argentina native eventually dribbled the ball, made a few passes and zipped the ball right into the unguarded net from three yards for his 11th goal in nine games for Miami.
Fans react to Messi’s game-changing performance
From the sixth minute of the game itself, fans all around the stadium had started chants of “We want Messi”. Even till the end of the game, the loud voices of “Messi, Messi” had taken over the whole audience.
Miami right back DeAndre Yedlin even commented on the reaction of the fans. He said how when they got to know Messi won’t be starting in the initial phase, they expected the crowd to contain multiple angry fans.
Rather earnestly, he added about not being concerned with that, because even if he was a young kid or fan, his aim would also be to witness the best in the game play live. The Red Bull Arena witnessed a gigantic crowd of 26,276 in the Red Bull’s first home sellout for the season.
The fellow players reiterated that this is the kind of spectator respect only the former PSG player can pull. This could be seen further when fans started cheering loudly as Messi began warming up 3 minutes into the second half.
Further, a complete roar overtook the football ground with the Argentinian making his way into the field. Fans will continue to wish to grab an opportunity of witnessing the footballer doing what he does best. Besides, who would want to miss Messi displaying his magic on the field? Absolutely no one!
