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    • Lionel Messi scores twice as Miami defeated Columbus Crew in the MLS battle
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    Lionel Messi scores twice as Miami defeated Columbus Crew in the MLS battle

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    Lionel Messi arrived in Miami almost fifteen months ago, in the summer of 2023, but due to injury or international duty he had missed the previous meetings against the Crew. On Saturday night, Inter Miami made their debut at the new Crew Stadium in what was the most consequential match of the 2024 MLS regular season.

    “Say hello to my little friend.”

    Messi scored two goals at the end of the first half: In the 45e Within a minute, he gave an over-the-top run, squeezed between two defenders, found the ping-pong ball and hit it past the goalie; He was then awarded a free kick from 27 yards out in the fifth and final minute of stoppage time, which he sent over and around the wall and into the near (right) post.

    Hello, Leo.

    Inter Miami defeated the Crew 3-2 in an exuberant atmosphere in front of a sold-out crowd of 20,815 people. It was a battle between heavyweights with high stakes. Sublime football mixed with breathless penalties, sometimes curious referees, and did-he-really-just-do-that? blunders.

    It won’t just be remembered for Messi. For Crew fans, the pain will linger. Inter Miami, the 2023 Leagues Cup champions, came to Columbus, home of the 2023 MLS Cup and 2024 Leagues Cup champions, and grabbed home field advantage for the upcoming playoffs.

    Simply put, Miami won the Supporters’ Shield on the Crew’s home court. Phew.

    The league, Fox Sports and Apple TV prepared for the coronation. The Supporter’s Shield, the trophy itself, was on the pitch and found its way into the visitors’ dressing room. No one wanted to wait to showcase the hardware at the next home game in Miami, in front of their fans, on October 19th. Messi’s presentation with the trophy after a match covered by two networks was too juicy to pass up.

    “Congratulations, Miami,” said Crew coach Wilfried Nancy. “They have been consistent and for me this is the most important thing. The Supporters’ Shield is all about consistency, so well done by them.”

    Inter Miami (20-4-8) has two games left in the regular season. The crew (16-6-9) has three; they are in second place in the East, one point ahead of Cincinnati.

    Put another way, the Crew have a lot to play for leading up to Decision Day, October 19 – and then they have the playoffs and the defense of their MLS Cup. The gut punch they received on Wednesday evening did not take the wind out of their sails. They were the better team in the first half before Messi made his magic. They played the last thirty-plus minutes of the second half with ten men, and they still pushed Miami to their limits.

    They simply made too many mistakes and were punished for them.

    “(At) the end we were playing 10 against 11,” Nancy said. “That’s why I like my team. We talk a lot about the brain – yes, the tactical element, the physical element and so on – but tonight was a great example that when we are ready to compete with ten men, we were still proactive, we were still courageous, we were still courageous and we were close to coming back and drawing and maybe, I don’t know, winning the game afterwards.

    They simply made too many mistakes and were punished for them.

    Messi’s free kick was awarded after an unnecessary foul by Crew defender Rudy Camacho. It was a tough evening for Camacho.

    Messi’s free kick, from about 27 yards out, went around a wall that may have been misplaced by Crew keeper Patrick Schulte (although Nancy credited Messi’s immortal left foot because “Messi is Messi, as you can see.”) Anyway Also, it was a tough night for Schulte.

    Crew forward Diego Rossi scored 38 seconds into the second half to cut Miami’s lead in half. Then, 118 seconds later, Camacho, backpedaling, ran into his own goalie, Schulte, and turned him upside down; and Luis Suarez had an open net for a header. Just like that, Miami regained a two-goal lead.

    A Miami handball in the penalty area led to a penalty in the 61st minute. Cucho Hernandez converted. That made it 3-2. Two minutes later, Camacho received his second yellow card of the match and was thrown off. It seemed relatively loud. Miami defenseman Sergio Busquets dug his studs into Crew fullback Mo Farsi’s thigh near Farsi’s groin in the first half, and it was a common foul. It should have been a straight red, but Busquets is Busquets, the most humane and cerebral of all the Barça boys. Look at him and you see the game, or so they say. The referee had handed out a yellow card and it looked like he was going to book Farsi because he exposed his crotch to Busquets’ cleats.

    Anyway, the Crew played with 10 men the rest of the way.

    Another Miami handball in the box gave the Crew another PK in the 76e minute. This sent the crowd, which was probably 95% Crew fans (there wasn’t much pink in the stands), into a frenzy. Hernandez attempted to repeat his first kick, which was placed inside the left post. This time, Miami goalkeeper Drake Callender guessed correctly and made a nice diving save.

    The crew kept coming.

    “Even with ten men we still had chances,” said forward Christian Ramirez. Despite everything that went wrong tonight, we were there right away.”

    The Crew had five shots on goal in the second half to Miami’s four.

    They will take that spirit home with them. They have a few things to clean up.

    As for Messi, he now has 46 titles.

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