Lionel Messi, wearing his permanent jersey number 10, provided a dramatic return on Saturday. That was his first goal in five games, capping off a welcome back to the scoresheet! His crucial strike in the 67th minute propelled Inter Miami to a commanding 4-1 victory against the New York Red Bulls, helping the team recover from a recent exit in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
Inter Miami were feeling the pressure coming into this match after enduring an awful three-game losing streak. It got even worse with an embarrassing collective loss of 5-1 to the Vancouver Whitecaps. What followed was a confident display, just what the team had required to re-settle in their championship chase. Boy did they deliver what was needed at Hard Rock Stadium!
Messi’s decisive goal saw him pull off an impressive one-two play with teammate Telasco Segovia. Messi shimmied and held off defender Noah Eile with ridiculous skill. He then capped off a brilliant streak with a perfectly-placed left-footed shot, putting Inter Miami up by three. This target was the Portuguese’s first sign of scoring return form. Perhaps equally important, it helped raise the mood of the team’s spirits.
Outside of Messi’s jaw-dropping performance, Inter Miami played a complete, dominant match on all cylinders. It was the fourth goal for the team, Messi’s run and finish providing the perfect culmination to an impressive overall victory. With this victory, Inter Miami jumped all the way up to fourth place on the Eastern Conference table. That’s a huge reversal for the team.
It took Messi a while, but the Argentinian finally found his scoring touch by netting his first goal in four matches. His leadership on the pitch is needed more than ever! His ability to influence the game and lead by example remains vital for Inter Miami as they strive for success in Major League Soccer (MLS).
