Soccer followers look on as Inter Miami ahead Lionel Messi, entrance proper, heads a ball throughout the second half of an MLS soccer match against the Colorado Rapids, Saturday, April 6, 2024, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
| Photo Credit: AP
Lionel Messi returned and helped salvage a tie for Inter Miami.
Messi scored shortly after checking in to start the second half and helped arrange Leo Afonso’s go-ahead rating two minutes later. But Cole Bassett scored in the 88th minute for the Colorado Rapids and the sport ended in a 2-2 tie on Saturday night time.
It was Messi’s first look for Inter Miami since a hamstring concern led to him getting subbed out early in the second half of a CONCACAF Champions Cup match against Nashville on March 13. He had missed 4 Inter Miami video games since, plus two video games with Argentina.
He wasted little time asserting his return Saturday. Messi’s fourth objective in as many MLS matches this season got here in the 58th minute, beating Colorado keeper Zach Steffen with a low shot that hit the left goalpost, then skidded again throughout the objective mouth earlier than settling into the following simply within the fitting put up.
“The most important thing was that he was feeling well and feeling comfortable,” Inter Miami coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino mentioned of Messi. “It’s sad to give up two goals but we continue to make mistakes that cost us points. … It has to do with not reading the game right, not reading the moment, and it cost us.” Not lengthy after play resumed, Messi despatched a move to David Ruiz, who discovered Afonso on their lonesome in entrance. Afonso put it dwelling for his first MLS objective, giving Inter Miami the lead.
It did not final. Bassett knotted issues late in regulation and Inter Miami (3-2-3) needed to settle for only one level as a substitute of three. Rafael Navarro bought the primary objective for Colorado (2-2-3), scoring late in the primary half on a penalty kick.
A pair of followers bought onto the sphere in the ultimate minutes in separate incidents, presumably to attempt to get a selfie with Messi. They had been each shortly escorted off by safety, and time expired shortly after the second fan bought onto the pitch.
It was a pricey night time for Inter Miami, which has been besieged by accidents — going again all the way in which to the group’s seven-match, around-the-world preseason tour — and now has extra of these to cope with. The group was with out seven gamers Saturday, plus misplaced Leo Campana late in the primary half with what seemed to be a hamstring concern and Afonso a jiffy after his second-half objective.
Messi and his three former standout Barcelona teammates — Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba — had been all obtainable Saturday, although none began.
It’s a clear signal that Inter Miami is making an attempt to be cautious with workloads for its 4 oldest gamers, all of them age 35 or older. Alba and Busquets entered in the second half.
“We needed Busi to have fewer minutes,” Martino mentioned.
Afonso was scheduled to play the total match, Martino added, however the damage modified that and plans had been shortly switched out of necessity.
Inter Miami is in a stretch the place it is going to play 5 matches in a span of 15 days. The group had a 1-1 draw with New York City FC on March 30, misplaced the primary leg of a CONCACAF Champions Cup matchup 2-1 to Monterrey at dwelling on Wednesday and hosted the Rapids on Saturday.
It then goes to Mexico for the second leg of the CONCACAF sequence this coming Wednesday earlier than ending the stretch at Kansas City on April 13.
Playing on Saturday would point out Messi ought to be capable of play in the Monterrey rematch, Martino mentioned.
Messi emerged from the bench space in the thirty fifth minute to start out warming up behind one of many finish traces, the mere sight of him sending followers into a frenzy.
They virtually missed a Miami objective on the different finish.
Simultaneous to the preliminary Messi sighting, Julian Gressel discovered a little bit of room and fired a 30-yarder from straightaway. The ball curled simply left, maintaining the match scoreless.
A couple of minutes later, that modified. Colorado’s Kevin Cabral bought taken down in the field — a few yards from the place Messi was going by his warmup routine — and Navarro beat Inter Miami goalie Drake Callender with the penalty kick for a 1-0 lead.
