FORT LAUDERDALE — How many more ways can there be to create Messi magic?
Fans walking into DRV PNK Stadium will be asking themselves that Friday night as Lionel Messi and Inter Miami prepare to face Charlotte FC in the quarterfinals of the Leagues Cup, a tournament featuring teams from Major League Soccer and Mexico’s Liga MX.
Inter Miami was 10 minutes away from elimination in the round of 16 at Dallas, trailing 4-2, when Messi sparked a comeback to win 5-3 on penalty kicks. After receiving a lifeline on a Dallas own goal to make it 4-3, Messi forced the shootout by scoring on a free kick in the 85th minute. The shot drew comparisons to his stunning, last-second free-kick winner in his Inter Miami debut, against Cruz Azul. Messi also scored Inter Miami’s opening goal against Dallas and had an assist.
The team appeared to have close to just about another sellout at 22,000-seat DRV PNK Stadium, even on a night where the South Florida sports landscape was loaded. The Miami Dolphins were playing their preseason opener at home, the Miami Marlins played host to the New York Yankees, and Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro was headlining a pro-am league championship game inside a packed high school gym.
But Messi-mania lived on, as would be expected. And the fans in those new pink No. 10 jerseys left happy once again, a far cry from what life was like for Inter Miami backers before the Messi era started.
Before Messi: Inter Miami had won five of its 22 MLS matches this season.
With Messi: Inter Miami has won all five of its Leagues Cup matches, and now is just two wins from a trophy.
Messi’s first good chance came 30 minutes into the match when some nifty short passes on the left side of the box led to him getting an opportunity from about 6 yards out. His shot was knocked away by Charlotte goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina, preserving what was then a 1-0 lead.
Little did anyone know Inter Miami already had all the offense it would need.
Another great opportunity came in the 69th minute, when Messi sent a pass to Taylor, then got it back and had open net — only to have his try from about 12 yards out in the middle of the box get deflected away.
All Messi could do was look skyward, giving a little smile.
Martinez opened the scoring for Inter Miami on a penalty kick in the 12th minute, one that came after Dixon Arroyo was taken down inside the box. That foul came shortly after Inter Miami unsuccessfully argued that Charlotte had committed a handball, which also would have led to the awarding of a penalty kick.
With Messi: Inter Miami has won all five of its Leagues Cup matches, and now is just two wins from a trophy with a team that looks nothing like a last-place MLS club since Messi, Busquets, Jordi Alba and coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino arrived.
“This Miami team is completely transformed,” Lattanzio said.
Messi’s first good chance came 30 minutes into the match when some nifty short passes on the left side of the box led to him getting an opportunity from about 6 yards. His shot was knocked away by goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina, preserving what was then a 1-0 lead.
Another great opportunity came in the 69th minute, when Messi sent a pass to Taylor, then got it back and had open net — only to have his try from about 12 yards out in the middle of the box get deflected away.
Martinez opened the scoring for Miami on a penalty kick in the 12th minute. It went to 2-0 in the 32nd minute, when Taylor took a pass from DeAndre Yedlin near the top of the box and sent a one-timer off the hand of a sprawling Kahlina.
The own goal made it 3-0, and then Messi finished off Miami’s second 4-0 win of the tournament. Miami has never had that lopsided a win during its four seasons of MLS play.
“It’s not just Leo … we have found different ways of being able to score,” Martino said.
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