Lionel Messi flips script after first touch in MLS doesn't go as planned
Lionel Messi making his debut in Major League Soccer is a sight so many have been waiting to see for so long.
Originally, it was supposed to be against Charlotte on August 20, before Inter Miami's Leagues Cup run saw that occasion delayed. Finally, the day had arrived as the Florida franchise took on the New York Red Bulls.
The wait was still made to go on a little longer at the Red Bull Arena as Messi was named on the substitutes bench. After chants of “We want Messi” throughout the game, the moment finally arrived just before the hour mark as he was introduced alongside Sergio Busquets and DeAndre Yedlin in a triple change.
It took a couple of minutes for the ball to finally find its way to his feet for his first touch in America’s top league. When the moment arrived, it didn’t quite go as planned.
Messi found himself in some space inside the opposition half with a teammate making a burst down the left-hand side. Messi spotted him and attempted to find him - only to see his pass intercepted by Andres Reyes.
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There wasn’t quite enough weight on Messi’s ball out wide and the electricity which met his first touch soon fizzled out. It was a timely reminder to those who had forked out hundreds or thousands of dollars for tickets that even the greatest of all time is human.
Fortunately for them, Messi soon made amends. With Inter Miami on course to close out a narrow win, he unlocked the New York Red Bulls defence in a way only he knows how to get on the scoresheet and continue his remarkable run.
Given barely an inch of space inside the box, he threaded a precise pass through the bodies to find Benjamin Cremaschi racing into the box down the right flank. The youngster duly passed straight back across to Messi to tap in a simple open goal and give the fans exactly what they wanted.
Messi was on the bench for the first hour - the first Inter Miami game he hasn't started since his debut (KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images)By the time Messi was introduced to the game, his team was already 1-0 up after Diego Gomez scored his first goal for the club. Whilst he was unable to exert a huge influence on the game, his mere presence as an outlet in attack was vital as his team were rarely troubled before he got in on the act to put the icing on the cake.
Even without Messi being at his best, and when he wasn’t on the pitch for much of the game, the impact he has had on Inter Miami was crystal clear. The club that was bottom of the Eastern Conference standings moved up a spot with the win and they look a completely different team to the one which last played in the competition before his arrival.
Their hopes of an unlikely treble remain alive. They have already won the Leagues Cup and booked their place in the U.S. Open Cup Final earlier in the week. They now still have hopes of making up ground to climb up to ninth place in the standings and secure a shot at the MLS Playoffs.
If they can make it that far then you’d think they would fancy their chances. They’ve beaten four of the top six Eastern Conference teams since Messi and Busquets arrived and, if they can manage Messi’s minutes effectively, look to be more than a match for anyone.
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