Lionel Messi inspires Inter Miami to Stellar 2-0 victory

In a dazzling performance, Lionel Messi orchestrated a triumphant start to Inter Miami’s Major League Soccer (MLS) season, securing a 2-0 win over Real Salt Lake on Wednesday. The Argentine maestro, who played the entire game, quelled any doubts about his early-season fitness, delighting fans with a stellar display.

Coach Gerardo Martino expressed his satisfaction, stating, “He looked loose, fine and showed a lot of speed,” highlighting Messi’s resilience after recovering from injuries that plagued him in the previous season and part of the pre-season.

Miami’s former Barcelona quartet, featuring Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba, all made their mark in front of a full-capacity crowd. Messi, demonstrating his prowess, nearly opened the scoring in the 18th minute with a sublime free-kick, setting the tone for a thrilling match.

The breakthrough came when Sergio Busquets found Messi, who seamlessly slipped the ball through to Finnish forward Robert Taylor. Taylor’s clinical finish gave Miami the lead, despite RSL goalkeeper Zac MacMath’s efforts.

Real Salt Lake, cautious initially, found opportunities in the second half, but Miami’s defense held firm. Messi, sensing the need for more goals, increased his work rate, orchestrating attacks with his trademark close control.

A pivotal moment arrived when Messi found Suarez, who set up Diego Gomez to extend Miami’s lead to 2-0. The trio continued to threaten, with MacMath denying Suarez a third goal.

Coach Martino praised the lesser-heralded members of the team, emphasizing the positive impact of players like Taylor and Gomez finding the net. He expressed confidence in Messi and Suarez rekindling their magic from their Barcelona days.

Reflecting on the victory, Taylor said, “It’s the start we wanted. There’s still some things that we need to work on, but the positive thing is the three points, and we’ll build on this.”

Inter Miami’s next challenge awaits on Sunday against Los Angeles Galaxy as they aim to maintain their solid start to the MLS season.