New normal for Inter Miami? Lionel Messi has two goals, assist in 4-0 laugher | Habib
FORT LAUDERDALE — It wasn’t nearly as dramatic.
But it was even more effective.
And emphatic.
Anyone wondering how much of an impact one man can make on a Major League Soccer team has an answer — at least if that man is Lionel Messi.
Messi didn’t score another storybook last-second game-winner for Inter Miami on Tuesday night. But he did score twice, assist on another goal and play a role in setting up a fourth in a 4-0 laugher over Atlanta United at DRV PNK Stadium.
Lowly, last-place Inter Miami, scoring four? Is this the same Inter Miami that couldn’t manage three in any previous match in 2023?
No. Most definitely it’s not the same Inter Miami.
We love the goals, but there's so much more to appreciate with Lionel Messi | Habib
With the addition of Messi and former Barcelona teammate Sergio Busquets, Inter Miami is on a two-match winning streak in the inaugural Leagues Cup competition featuring MLS and Mexican teams.
And it’s fair to say that more than a few fans walked out of DRV PNK on Tuesday night wondering if their team had gone from worst to first in the blink of an eye. Maybe not in any standings, but in actuality.
Is any of this dream starting to seem normal?
“No, not really,” Inter Miami defender DeAndre Yedlin said. “I don't know if it seems normal to anybody yet.”
More reinforcements likely coming for Inter Miami
Keep in mind, too, that the Herons are about to add another Barca alum, Jordi Alba, with speculation bubbling that Luis Suarez and Andres Iniesta might be next in the pipeline. Perhaps the last player out of Barcelona will remember to turn off the lights.
As for us in South Florida, what did you think? That when the Final Four (Florida Atlantic Owls, Miami Hurricanes), Stanley Cup playoffs (Florida Panthers) and NBA playoffs (Miami Heat) were finished, that whoever was spiking everybody’s Gatorade was quitting there? And just as the Dolphins are gathering for training camp?
So who’s to say that good fortune hasn’t rubbed off on the Herons?
"Since those two have gotten here, the spirit has changed,” Yedlin said. “Obviously, guys are really excited. But I think just their presence gives everybody more confidence. And I think also the teams that we're playing against now have a bit of fear in their eyes. When those two are on the field, you know you're in for a tough game."
Unlike Messi’s debut, this match wasn’t a sellout, but close. Fans keeping tabs on Messi’s every move were rewarded with a priceless moment before the match. Continuing a soccer tradition, the starters walked onto the pitch accompanied by children. The boy joining Messi’s hand was well aware of his fortune, appearing to break into tears of joy. Messi, who has three kids, slipped into the role of Dad and tried to comfort him. Turned out the boy was DJ Khaled’s son, Asahd.
Messi wasn’t nearly as caring toward Atlanta United, striking in the eighth and 22nd minutes and leaving fans hoping to witness his first hat trick in South Florida. In only his second match coming off vacation, Messi made his first start for Inter Miami and played 77 minutes, but he didn’t exit until he helped set up two goals by Robert Taylor, the second of which earned Messi an assist.
This time, Lionel Messi goes to work early
Four days prior, Messi made his Inter Miami debut with a lightning bolt, nailing a stoppage-time free kick against Cruz Azul from 25 yards out. Messi went to work early this time, hitting the post on an early break and easily tapping in the rebound. The true significance of the goal, though, was on the service by Busquets despite Atlanta coming into the match determined to stop exactly what transpired. Inter Miami coach Tata Martino could sympathize.
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“There are times when the coach prepares the plan a certain way but these two players are so good they create space,” Martino said.
Fourteen minutes later, Messi struck his third goal in 58th minutes played in Inter Miami pink. Messi fed Taylor on the left wing, Taylor fed Messi with a low cross, and Messi struck, this time with his right foot.
When Taylor sent a scorching volley into the roof of the net in the 44th minute, Inter Miami had its first three-goal night in 24 matches this year. More precedent came early in the second half when Taylor struck again. It marked only the fourth time in Inter Miami’s 3 1/2-year history it had scored four or more in a match. In the two matches Messi has played, Inter Miami has six goals, allowed one. Goalkeeper Drake Callender even preserved his shutout by saving a late penalty kick.
The win sends Inter Miami into the knockout stage of the Leagues Cup and assures the Herons of a home match on next Wednesday.
That’s in the short term. The long-term view is as encouraging as it gets for a team that has played 11 consecutive league matches without a win. All that was BM. Before Messi.
With Messi? It’s getting interesting. Just ask Yedlin.
"The sky's the limit with the guys that we're signing now and the talent and experience that we're bringing in,” he said.
Sports reporter Hal Habib can be reached at hhabib@pbpost.com and followed on Twitter @gunnerhal.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Lionel Messi has two goals, assist in rare Inter Miami blowout
