Encouraged by Hristo Stoichkov, “sing it, sing it”, the commentator of the TUDN channel, Ramses Sandoval, laughed. “This is not a goal, this is a gooolàs, a work of art”.
A dream ending. At the last gasp of added time in the confrontation between the locals of Inter Miami and the Cruz Azul of Mexico City, Messi fell near the area. The score was tied at one. It was a moment ago that the analysts were sending the game to penalties. In this Leagues Cup competition, in which members of the Mexican and United States leagues participate, there is no overtime. Everything changed when the referee whistled the foul, in an ideal place for that legendary left leg.
Messi caressed the ball. He placed it after studying the fence. The ball slipped through the box. There is no artificial intelligence that can do anything like that. It is only within the reach of a god as human as the seven-time Ballon d’Or. “The greatest”, insisted the commentator.
“Goal 808”, shouted one of his colleagues on the broadcast. Delirium in the stands, more than in need of joy, and on the lawn. Even the losers showed their admiration. Even the ex-Barça and PSG man celebrated it as if it were a Champions League goal. He ran to the sideline and hugged his children. David Beckham, co-owner of Inter, had his eyes shining. He had reason to be excited and his wife, Victoria, portrayed him.
Messi’s debut in the pink shirt of Inter, one of the great moments in the history of soccer, met all expectations and much more. You only had to see the gallery of celebrities, from LeBron James and Serena Williams to Kim Kardashian, Gloria Estefan and her husband or Marc Anthony.
He entered the pitch in the 53rd minute, with his friend Sergio Busquets, and the scene changed. His dribbles, his changes of rhythm and his passes were from another galaxy among that vulgarity, always counting on the complicity of Busi, another who is also not from this planet.
Miami fans were sighing for the miracle and all their prayers, slogans and flags were dedicated to their new messiah. The Spanish capital of the north of South America lives messimania, the messianic fever, the passion for what they call “the atomic flea”.
His Inter is a real disaster, the worst team in the league (MLS), with some unfortunate shortcomings. He was coming from eleven games without a win, he is the last of the competition in the United States, 12 points away from entering the playoffs (twelve games remain) and on the day of the debut of the Argentine star, he could justly have lost against the blues of the cement machine, who dominated at all times. Goalkeeper Callender saved the pinks from a wreck. Football stuff: The visitors equalized when Messi was already on the pitch.
Before debuting, rarely has a bench enjoyed so much prominence. It gave the director the impression that he was less interested in the game than Messi’s faces on the bench. At some point he let loose an expression such as “where have I been”. The Fort Lauderdale stadium looks like the Camp Nou playground or the Parc des Prínceps.
But he jumped on the grass and happiness triumphed. Dan Garber, commissioner of the MLS, rubs his hands together: “This is the icing on the cake.” Messi, with the invaluable help of Busquets and Alba, has the difficult challenge of turning a band into a team. He is full of magic and the desire to smile.
