Messi’s two assists help Inter Miami beat LAFC 3-1, extend unbeaten streak to 11 games
Lionel Messi took his roadshow to Hollywood Sunday night, drawing an A-list star-studded crowd at BMO Stadium for the highly anticipated match between Inter Miami and defending MLS champion Los Angeles FC.
The sellout crowd, which paid $600 t0 $6,000 for tickets, got the entertaining game it hoped for, but not the result the home fans wanted. Miami extended its unbeaten streak to 11 games since Messi’s arrival with a 3-1 win on goals by Facundo “Facu” Farias, Jordi Alba and Leo Campana.
Messi provided the assists for Alba and Campana and was the first player to leap into each of the three goal-scorers’ arms to celebrate.
“We had said before the game that this would be a big test for us to see if we are capable of beating the former champion and we got a great result,” Messi told Apple TV in Spanish after the game. “We keep growing as a group and will try to reach our next objective, which is making the playoffs.”
With the victory, Miami gained ground in its late season push to climb into the playoff race and now sits eight points behind the playoff line with nine games remaining. Inter Miami (7-14-4) has 25 points and ninth-place D.C. United holds the final spot with 33 points.
LAFC defender Giorgio Chiellini, the former Juventus great, said Inter Miami was the best team he had faced since joining MLS, and he took his children onto the field after to take photos with Messi.
“I think the arrival of Leo in this league, it’s very good, not just for Miami but for the attention that everyone gives to MLS,” Chiellini said. “It’s a huge step for the league. With the arrival of Messi, everything is changing, everyone is opening eyes. This league has huge potential.”
Miami coach Tata Martino spoke on the importance of the win.
“LAFC is a tremendous team to hold for 90 minutes because they keep attacking and attacking,” Martino said. “For us this was a great barometer and this is a great collective win for us. We’ve had many difficult matches. I think because of the quality of the opponent today, this was one of the most challenging and the one that we performed the best within 90 minutes. I think it’s a very good sign.”
The Alba goal in the 51st minute involved his two former FC Barcelona teammates. Messi received a pass from Sergio Busquets and then delivered a perfectly placed assist to Alba, who slotted it past L.A. goalkeeper John McCarthy. Alba celebrated by sucking his thumb, a tribute to his newborn baby son.
McCarthy, who previously played for Miami, stopped two Messi shots during the game and exchanged jerseys with the Argentine star afterward. “I have a couple of (famous) jerseys, but there’s none like Messi,” McCarthy said. “Messi is Messi, I think we can all agree on that. I have to watch that moment back, but I would much rather have three points and get the shirt, as well, but it wasn’t our day.”
Messi’s second assist was equally impressive as he got around a couple of L.A. defenders and laid off a pass to Campana, who then scored on a left-footed shot to the far post in the 83rd minute.
“The atmosphere was great and this win gives us a lot of confidence,” said Inter Miami defender DeAndre Yedlin. “Any time you beat LAFC you gain confidence because that is a great team. It’s great for us, but the job’s not finished yet. On to the next one.”
Midfielder Busquets added: “We are growing and have done a lot in a short amount of time, including a title. So we are gaining confidence with three points from this game. Our goal is still to make the playoffs, and though it seems far away, we are taking it step by step.”
Los Angeles took more than twice as many shots as Miami (22 to nine) and had numerous chances to score, but Miami goalkeeper Drake Callender came up big time and time again and finished with five saves. Ryan Hollingshead headed in a goal off a Carlos Vela cross in the 90th minute for Los Angeles to avoid the shutout.
Among the celebrities who showed up at BMO Stadium were Prince Harry, Leonardo DiCaprio, LeBron James, Selena Gomez, Owen Wilson, Tom Holland, Jaime Camil, Tyga, Ed Norton, team co-owners Magic Johnson and Will Farrell, and “Ted Lasso” stars Jason Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt.
Unlike Nashville SC, which used a defensive style to frustrate Miami in the previous game, LAFC came out with an aggressive high-pressing attack that put Miami on its heels from the start. Los Angeles had four shots, two on goal, in the first 10 minutes.
Both early L.A. shots were taken by Denis Bouanga and saved by Callender, who has been one of the league’s best keepers this season and was called up to the U.S. national team for a pair of September friendlies. Carlos Vela also had a chance to put the home team on the scoreboard but failed to finish.
“Drake’s massive save on the 1-on-1 against Bouanga quieted their crowd and gave us a lot of confidence,” Martino said.
Inter Miami took the lead in the 14th minute when Argentine 21-year-old Farias sprinted to catch up to a Tomas Aviles through ball on the right and then slid and managed to get off a shot with his outstretched right leg that bounced in off the post.
Los Angeles forward Carlos Vela said he was not surprised Messi adapted so quickly to his new teammates and MLS.
“I would be surprised if he wasn’t playing well, wasn’t making spectacular plays and his team wasn’t getting better,” Vela said. “That’s normal. They have Messi, and not only him, but also Busquets, Jordi Alba, Josef Martinez, Campana, very high-quality players for this league; and their team has improved.”
Miami will have to find offense without Messi next Saturday against Kansas City as he is leaving for Argentina national team duty on Monday. Argentina has World Cup qualifying matches against Ecuador Sept. 7 and Bolivia Sept. 12 and will miss Miami’s game against Kansas City on Sept. 9.
Messi is one of nine Inter Miami players who were called up to national teams and will miss the Kansas City game. The others are Callender (USA), Benjamin Cremaschi (USA), Sergiy Kryvtsov (Ukraine), Robert Taylor (Finland), Josef Martinez (Venezuela), David Ruiz (Honduras), Diego Gomez (Paraguay), and Edison Azcona (Dominican Republic).
