Inter Miami defeated Nashville on penalties (10-9) after their match finished 1-1 after 90 minutes thanks to a screamer goal from Lionel Messi, who also won his first trophy in North American soccer.
The World Cup winner from Argentina gave Miami the lead in the 24th minute with a spectacular shot into the top corner, but Nashville’s Fafa Picault equalized in the second half.
Messi struck the post, and Miami’s Leonardo Campana missed a last-second opportunity to win the game in regulation. The game then went to a shoot-out, which culminated in a duel between the two goalkeepers and Miami’s Drake Callender saving Elliot Panicco’s shot.
The American goalie, who had made some crucial saves late in the game to keep his team in the game, was hurried to join in the celebration by Messi and his teammates.
Messi, together with fellow Spaniards Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, completely altered Miami, who were at the bottom of Major League Soccer when he joined them a month ago. Miami went on a seven-game unbeaten streak to win the League Cup.
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What was said by club’s founder and co-owner David Beckham
The club’s founder and co-owner David Beckham expressed his surprise at how swiftly the former Barcelona trio had been able to bring about change.
Watching these athletes play is “like watching a movie; everything about their play is beautiful from an emotional standpoint,” he remarked.
Seven-times Winner of the Ballon d’Or In his first seven games for his new side, Messi has scored 10 goals. On Wednesday, when his team plays Cincinnati in the US Open Cup semifinal, he has a chance to advance to a second final.
The victory was nonetheless satisfying despite the fact that Miami was not the dominant, entertaining team that has dominated the competition, which features MLS and Liga MX clubs from Mexico, over the last month.
I’m overjoyed to have brought the team its first championship in just one month. Busquets, a midfielder, remarked, “We are thrilled with how quickly the team is developing.
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Nashville went into the game with the explicit goal of limiting Busquets’ and subsequently Messi’s impact, and they were successful in making Miami play a slower style of possession football deeper in their own half.
By forcing Callender into a low save on Walker Zimmerman’s header from a Lukas MacNaughton corner, Gary Smith’s team gave Miami an early warning that they could cause trouble from set pieces.
Messi dropped deeper and looked for openings in the home defense as Miami probed.
However, Robert Taylor twisted and turned and hit a ferocious drive that Nashville keeper Elliot Panicco did well to keep out because Walker Zimmerman was managing the back line well.
Miami took the lead after three minutes, and the catalyst for their breakthrough was predictable.
After Taylor’s attempted inside pass was stopped, Messi sped by Zimmerman and created enough space to his left to unleash an unstoppable drive from more than 25 yards out that sailed into the top corner and past the defenseless Panicco.
Miami appeared to be in complete control and played with confidence that bordered on swagger, but things changed after the break.
Picault successfully headed in a corner kick that ricocheted off the feet of Benjamin Cremaschi and Callender at the back post.
Hany Mukhtar, a German forward for Nashville, regained his confidence and became active, challenging Miami with his quick runs and Callender with a blast from behind.
With a shot from just beyond the box in the 71st minute that scraped the outside of the post, Messi came dangerously close to another Hollywood ending.
It came down to the goalkeepers in the penalty shootout after all 10 outfield players had missed one shot each. Callender maintained his composure with his shot before denying Panicco and starting the celebrations.
When they sought to get Lionel Messi, Jorge Mas and David Beckham, co-owners of Inter Miami, put everything on the line. It’s already paying off.
Messi’s signing with Inter Miami was just the beginning of a larger plan that included the recruitment of Tata Martino, Jordi Alba, and Sergio Busquets, Messi’s former Barcelona colleagues.