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In his first official game in the MLS, Lionel Messi made his mark. After starting the match on the bench, Messi entered the game in the 60th minute when Inter Miami was trailing 1-0 against NY Red Bulls. He proved crucial in securing his team’s triumph with a 2-0 victory by scoring his debut goal in the 90th minute of the match.
With this result, Inter Miami reaches 21 points in 23 games, moving out of the bottom spot in the MLS Eastern Conference and overtaking Toronto FC. It’s worth noting that Messi had already debuted for the team in two other competitions (Leagues Cup, where they emerged as champions, and the US Open Cup, where they qualified for the final).
In the first half, Inter Miami took the lead at the 36th minute, also featuring an MLS debutant. After a left-sided cross, Diego Gómez received the ball in the box, controlled it, and placed a left-footed shot into the bottom corner to open the scoring in New York.
In the second half, with Messi on the field, Inter Miami endured the pressure from the home team but managed to maintain control of the game until the moment they sealed NY Red Bulls’ fate. Just moments after Messi had a chance from a free-kick, he received the ball inside the box and delivered an inch-perfect pass to Cremaschi, who calmly rolled it to Messi, allowing him to slot the ball into the empty net.
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami will return to the pitch next Wednesday. In the MLS, Miami will host Nashville.