Another magical night for Lionel Messi in Miami. The Argentine started for the first time in his second appearance for the American club and did not disappoint. The Argentine was the author of the first two goals, participated in the play of the third and assisted the fourth as Inter Miami crushed Atlanta United 4-0.
The match was for matchday 2 of the Leagues Cup, the tournament played by all the MLS and Liga MX (Mexico) teams. The Florida team came looking to ensure their qualification to the next round after winning on the first date with a great goal from Messi's free kick at the last minute.
The first goal recalled past times, with a Barcelona connection between Busquets and Messi. The Spaniard slipped in a lofted pass to leave the Argentine on his own and let him do the magic. He defined the stick with his left foot and the ball, like the eyes of the entire public, looked for him again to define it from the right.
And with the same leg came the double. A trademark play for Messi, who started it himself from midfield and ended up waiting in the area for a direct pass to his right foot to calmly define the 2-0. It was, once again, the Lionel Messi show in the United States.
In the third score, the Argentine was the one who started the play, and likewise passed in the fourth and last goal. Messi took possession from his own field in a counter that ended with a goal from Robert Taylor assisted by his new teammate, the '10'. Messi does and undoes at will in Miami.
Thus, Atlanta United became the 100th victim at the Rosario club level, after having reached 99 with Cruz Azul after the work of art that hung in the DRV PNK Stadium last Friday in his debut. A hundred teams spread all over the world and that will now begin to join in the United States.
Messi's impact has been immediate. Inter Miami had not tasted a victory for a month and a half until the Argentine's debut, and now they have won two consecutive wins, something they had not achieved since May. Also, yesterday was the first time all season that the Florida team scored more than two goals. From the hand of Messi came better times.
With this, Inter Miami has already closed its group stage of the Leagues Cup and secured first place in the group. Now expect a rival for the round of 32. Santos Laguna, Orlando City or Houston Dynamo are the ones who could now become the next target for the seven-time Ballon d'Or. A new victim to be number 101 on Messi's endless list.
