Messi Magic Carries Miami Over the Line
It wasn’t easy, it wasn’t entirely convincing, but Inter Miami managed to come away with a second-straight victory, handing D.C. United their first loss under René Weiler’s tutelage.
Miami found themselves overpowered by D.C.’s press and unable to break down their stubborn defense until the 35th minute, when Lionel Messi conjured up a goal out of thin air by placing an inch-perfect lofted pass into the path of Tadeo Allende, who deftly converted the opening goal. However, the visitors did not give up and continued to push Miami deeper into their own half, eventually getting their just rewards as reigning Golden Boot winner Christian Benteke equalized after the break.
The Herons needed a quarter-hour to regain the lead, with Jordi Alba teeing up Messi for the second goal. They had a golden chance to double the advantage after winning a penalty, with Messi – having squandered an opportunity from the spot in their previous match – allowing new arrival Matteo Silvetti to take it. Having won the penalty himself, Silvetti looked set to open his account for Miami in just his second match. Instead, he blasted the shot into the top bar. It nearly came back to bite them, with Baltasar Rodriguez almost giving away a penalty, only for the referee to deem it just outside the box.
Ultimately, however, the game came down to one thing: Miami had Messi, and the other team didn’t. The Argentine doubled the advantage in the 85th minute with a delectable long shot, proving yet again why, even at 38 years old, he remains a cut above the rest, and why many pundits like Ray Hudson and Jeyhan Bhindi have dubbed him the greatest soccer player of all time. Whilst Jacob Murrell pulled one back in the final minutes, Miami were able to hold on and prevail with a 3-2 victory thanks to a brace from Messi, who surpassed Sam Surridge as the top scorer in MLS with 22 goals.
It was an essential win for Miami, who control their own destiny as they look to win the MLS Supporters’ Shield for the second-straight year. Whereas league leaders Philadelphia Union currently sit atop the table with 60 points, the most they can finish on is 69 points; Miami and Vancouver can both finish on 70 points.
It was also the last match of Luis Suarez’s three-match MLS suspension, with the Uruguayan striker set to return on Wednesday for their upcoming trip to New York City FC, before travelling to Canada for their match vs. Toronto FC. Miami will then host Chicago Fire, New England Revolution and Atlanta United before traveling to Tennessee for their final regular season match vs. Nashville SC.
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