From hell in the MLS to heaven in the Leagues Cup: this is how Messi revived Inter Miami

On July 15, the inter miami lived an unforgettable day with the official announcement of the signing of Leo Messi. However, hours later he returned to his terrible soccer reality, losing 3-0 against St. Louis City, which was his eleventh straight game without a win in the league (eight losses and three draws).

Bottom of the Eastern Conference in MLS, the team in pink poured all their enthusiasm into Messi, in the arrival of his ex-teammates in Barcelona Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba and in what Gerardo could contribute from the bench ‘daddy’ Martino.

But not even the most optimistic, dreamy or deluded in Miami could imagine that just over a month later the Florida team would lift the first trophy in its history, culminating in an incredible metamorphosis with seven wins in seven games in the Leagues Cup.

Led by an overwhelming Messi, with an inexhaustible ambition and who has not come to the US on vacation or early retirement at all, Inter Miami won the Leagues Cup this Saturday by beating Nashville in the final on penalties after a tremendously exciting game (1-1, 9-10 in the shootout).

The genius from Rosario, voted best player in the Leagues Cup, was the tournament’s top scorer with an astonishing record of ten goals in seven games, including some precious and wonderful goals within the already impressive catalog of 10 for the Albiceleste.

Very happy in Miami and totally adapted to his new life, Messi has not only given the first title to the team owned by David Beckham along with the Mas brothers but, incidentally, he sealed his 44th trophy, with which he equals Dani Alves as the footballer with the most cups in history.

An ideal premiere and a perfect icing

If it weren’t for the fact that writers in the US have been on strike against the giants of film and television for months, someone might think that Messi’s adventure at Inter Miami is written like a Hollywood movie.

It seems incredible but not even a month has passed since that memorable July 21 when Messi set foot on the field of the DRV PNK Stadium for the first time wearing the pink Inter Miami shirt.

That day with a multitude of celebrities and stars in the stands (LeBron James, Serena Williams, Kim Kardashian, Becky G, Gloria Estefan…) saw the Argentine come on as a substitute in the second half.

The normal thing is that his appearance on the field would have been the stellar moment of the evening, but Messi pulled a delicious free-kick out of his hat in the 94th minute with which Inter Miami defeated Cruz Azul 2-1.

Already with the ‘Messimania’ Vibrating in every corner of Miami (and in a good part of the country), the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner dedicated himself to chaining doubles while his team did not stop growing and winning.

Thus, Messi only needed 22 minutes to sign two goals against his compatriot Thiago Almada’s Atlanta United, who ended up thrashed 4-0.

Messi’s magic infected the entire team in an amazing way, so much so that players who used to roam the green without shame or glory suddenly found themselves capable of anything. There, for example, the Finn Robert Taylor and the Venezuelan Josef Martínez stood out, well-oiled in the attack led by Messi, or young talents such as the Argentine-American Benjamín Cremaschi.

Even so, the backbone of this champion Inter Miami was made up of Alba -who made his debut in the knockout rounds-, Busquets -who also made his debut against Cruz Azul- and Messi.

With two new goals from their star, Inter Miami took the Florida derby in the round of 32 3-1 against an Orlando City whose coach, the Colombian Óscar Pareja, assured that Messi should have been sent off.

Even tougher was their duel against Dallas, a match in which Inter Miami walked on one leg and with a blindfold over the very edge of the precipice.

Down 4-2 in the 80th minute against a Dallas team led by Argentine Alan Velasco, Inter Miami was saved from elimination thanks to an own goal by Marco Farfán and another major free-kick from Messi, his second of that night.

Already with the final 4-4, Inter Miami got the ticket for the quarterfinals from the penalty spot in a miraculous outcome (3-5).

After such a scare, their quarterfinal matches against Charlotte (4-0) and the semifinals against the Philadelphia Union (1-4) were much more peaceful.

But along the way, Messi and Inter Miami continued to score, as the Argentine scored the farthest goal of his career in Philadelphia (more than 32 meters) while his team devastated the Subaru Park of the Philadelphia Union, one of the fields theoretically impregnable in the MLS, with a devastating 0-3 at halftime.

There was only one obstacle to overcome -at home- for glory: Hany Mukhtar’s Nashville (MVP and top scorer in MLS in 2022).

Messi struck in the final with a superb first-half goal but Nashville equalized in the second half with Drake Callender’s own goal off a multi-rebound corner.

With chances for both teams at the end and penalties finally as judges, the title could also have gone to the team from the country’s capital. But fate seemed written and nothing got in the way of Messi’s -for now- perfect story in Miami.

Source: EFE