Messi Shines as Miami Advances to Leagues Cup Quarterfinals
Lionel Messi’s exceptional performance led Inter Miami to the quarterfinals of the Leagues Cup, as they overcame FC Dallas in a thrilling encounter that ended 4-4 after extra time and 5-3 in favor of Miami in the penalty shootout.
Scoring Summary: Quignon 37, Kamungo 45, Velasco 63, Taylor own goal 68 – Messi 6, 85 Cremaschi 65, Farfan own goal 80
Messi played a pivotal role in all four goals for his team, showcasing his brilliance with two spectacular strikes and displaying nerves of steel during the penalty shootout, even under the scorching Texas heat of nearly 40°C. Despite falling behind by two goals on two occasions, the visiting team managed to level the score and eventually triumph in the penalty shootout. The British publication, Daily Mail, commented, “Messi, more than human.”
Messi, alongside Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, made their mark as they all started for Inter Miami in their first away match against Dallas. These three players combined beautifully to open the scoring in the sixth minute, with Busquets orchestrating the play, Alba delivering a clever backheel pass from the left wing, and Messi expertly placing the ball into the bottom left corner from outside the box. Despite being away from home, the Argentine superstar received a warm reception from the Toyota Stadium crowd for his goal.
This goal bore resemblance to Messi’s memorable match-winner for Barcelona against Real Madrid in La Liga on April 23, 2017. Throughout his career, Messi has executed similar finishes, often originating from assists by Alba.
In the first half, Messi also created multiple scoring opportunities for his teammates. In the 31st minute, he provided a perfectly timed through ball for Josef Martinez, who faced the goalkeeper one-on-one. Moments later, Messi dribbled through the central midfield and set up Robert Taylor, who also missed a promising chance. Regrettably for Miami, their wasted opportunities came back to haunt them as Dallas netted two goals in the closing minutes of the first half, courtesy of Facundo Quignon and Bernard Kamungo.
The drama continued in the second half, with Miami finding themselves trailing 3-1 until the 68th minute when Alan Velasco converted a free-kick to make it 3-2. Messi continued to shine, orchestrating a fantastic play that led to Benjamin Cremaschi’s goal, reducing the deficit to 4-3. However, an own goal by Taylor in the 68th minute widened the gap once again.
In a true display of resilience, Miami equalized again in the 80th minute when Messi’s free-kick from the left found Marco Farfan, who inadvertently headed the ball into his own net, making it 4-4.
The highlight of the match arrived in the 85th minute, as Messi curled in a stunning free-kick from just over 20 meters away, finding the top corner of the net and securing his team’s place in the shootout. Despite the intense pressure, Messi confidently converted his penalty in the shootout, and the entire crowd celebrated Miami’s victory. In the end, all five Miami players scored their penalties, while Dallas stumbled, with Paxton Pomykal missing the target.
After only four appearances for Miami, Messi has already scored seven goals, including back-to-back braces in his last three matches. Under the guidance of coach Tata Martino, Miami is set to face either Houston Dynamo or Charlotte in the quarterfinals on August 11th. The match proved to be a scorching and dramatic affair, solidifying Messi’s status as a true footballing legend.
