The LA Galaxy seemed to stop Inter Miami in its tracks in the nascent 2024 MLS season, but the magic of Lionel Messi is more current than ever, whether in Florida or California, anywhere, ‘La Pulga’ reappears to collapse almost any rival momentum.
The ‘Flea’ appeared in the compensation to score his first goal of the 2024 MLS season and achieve a 1-1 draw between the Galaxy and Inter in what was a highlight, one of the most anticipated duels of the year, when the campaign has just started.
Messi achieved 11 goals and 8 assists in all games during his first season with Inter Miami, a trend that he will seek to improve now in 2024, and he seems to be on the right track to achieve it by being decisive in rescuing a point and the squad’s undefeated record. of Florida in two games.
The match played in a packed Dignity Health Sports Park stadium left great details from Messi, a very disconnected Luis Suárez, in addition to quite unfortunate defensive performances from Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.
It was the second time that Messi played in ‘The City of Stars’, after facing Los Angeles FC in September of last year, and the Latin fans came en masse to a match for which the sign of ‘there is no tickets’.
There were many incentives not to miss the event, among others Puig’s reunion with Messi, Suárez, Busquets and Alba, with whom he celebrated the 2018-19 League at Barça, despite his timid role in that team.
The match started with a back-and-forth in which Galaxy concentrated the most dangerous plays thanks to very fast transitions led by Puig. So much so that Busquets made several untimely tackles on the Los Angeles team’s midfielder.
Busi and Riqui faced each other again and again, and usually the latter emerged victorious, deploying a wide range of resources to protect and move the ball with speed.
In one of those, Galaxy’s number 10 served on the right for Paintsil, who was knocked down by Busquets and the referee gave a penalty in the 12th minute.
Puig took responsibility and hit the left side of Miami goalkeeper Drake Callender, who saved the penalty in a great act of reflexes.
In the 27th minute came the clearest warning for Greg Vanney’s team in the first half thanks to a shot from outside the area taken by Puig that hit the crossbar.
The final stages of the first period left Inter Miami trying to intimidate Galaxy with some maneuvers by Messi and unsuccessful attempts by Luis Suárez, who missed a clear chance – later invalidated due to offside – when he was about to score. to come to rest.
Tata Martino’s men came out with a different face in the second half and in the first minute of it, a rise by Alba left the Paraguayan Diego Gómez in a free position, who missed John McCarthy.
Messi also tried his luck from outside the area on several occasions, finding some loophole between the duo Yoshida and Cáceres, a Uruguayan center back who also played for Barcelona in the first years of his career.
But Puig – who was seen to be very motivated – and Paintsil continued to intermittently torment the pink team with balls behind the back of the Spanish side of Inter Miami who either retreated late or was overtaken while defending at an inferiority.
On his side also came the entry of the Japanese winger Yamane who found the post after a combinative play.
Thus, in the 75th minute, an arrival by the Catalan Galaxy midfielder left him in a shooting position, Callender repelled down but the rebound allowed the Serbian striker Dejan Joveljic to score the first goal of the game.
After this, the Miami team had a final ten minutes with many chances, until Alba found the formula, enabled Messi in the area and the Argentine did not forgive in the 92nd minute.
Just one minute later, the Argentine was able to complete the comeback but his shot went wide and the stands, in which there were thousands of shirts with his number, ended up applauding him.
*With information from EFE.
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