Lionel Messi debuted this Saturday in the MLS and added a new goal for an absolutely launched Inter Miami while Thiago Almada, a teammate in the Argentine team, scored a goal in Atlanta United’s win over Nashville.
Another prominent Latin American on this MLS day was the Uruguayan Facundo Torres, who signed a brace for Orlando City to win ‘in extremis’ 2-1 against St. Louis City.
With eleven goals since landing in Florida, Messi has guided Inter Miami to nine wins in nine games. After winning the Leagues Cup and qualifying for the final of the US Open Cup, the team in pink returned to the MLS this Saturday and won 0-2 against the New York Red Bulls.
Messi was a substitute, he came on in the 60th minute to the joy of the thousands and thousands of fans who filled the New York Red Bulls stadium with shirts from the genius of Rosario and scored the game’s verdict in the 89th minute after a stupendous triangulation with Benjamin Cremaschi preceded by an acrobatic pass from Jordi Alba.
In the first part, the Paraguayan Diego Gómez had put Gerardo Martino’s team ahead, who also reserved Sergio Busquets, Deandre Yedlin and Josef Martínez at the start. The Venezuelan was the only one of the three who did not take the field. Before the Leagues Cup, Inter Miami had gone eleven games in a row without winning in MLS (eight losses and three draws).
Now they will try to climb positions to reach the playoff spots in the Eastern Conference, where the Chicago Fire (32 points after 25 games) marks the ninth position, the last one that gives access to the playoffs.
Inter Miami has 21 points after having played 23 games. On the other hand, Almada did his bit with a goal in the 4-0 beating of Nashville by an Atlanta United that has won two straight wins after returning from the Leagues Cup break.
In Florida, Orlando City beat West leaders St. Louis City 2-1, led by Facundo Torres, who scored both goals for his team, including a penalty in the 91st minute.
More forceful and with fewer shocks was the triumph of Cincinnati, who forgot about the disappointment in the US Open Cup against Inter Miami, beating New York City 3-0.
Venezuelan Júnior Moreno sealed one of the goals for a Cincinnati team led by Argentine Luciano Acosta, who continues to lead the Eastern Conference and is the favorite to win the MLS Supporters’ Shield (recognition for the best MLS team in regular season).
On the other hand, Los Angeles FC (LAFC), current MLS Cup champion, lost 2-1 on their visit to Charlotte despite the fact that the Spanish Mario González scored his first goal for the Los Angeles team.
In addition, the Columbus Crew beat Toronto 2-0 and celebrated Uruguayan Diego Rossi’s first goal with the yellow shirt. Toronto is the new bottom team in the East (instead of Inter Miami) and, counting MLS and Leagues Cup, it has a record of ten straight losses in the red.
Without leaving an increasingly demanding East, the Philadelphia Union beat DC United 1-3, who went into the break already trailing by three goals. And Montreal beat the New England Revolution 1-0 with an 86th-minute goal from George Campbell.
Even more agonizing was Dallas’ 1-0 win over Austin in a Texas duel thanks to a 97th-minute header from Nkosi Tafari while Sporting Kansas City thrashed the San Jose Earthquakes 3-0.
In the turn of the Western Conference games, the Spanish Riqui Puig scored one of the three goals with which the LA Galaxy crushed the Chicago Fire 3-0.
In addition, the Panamanian Adalberto Carrasquilla scored one of the goals with which the Houston Dynamo crushed Real Salt Lake at home, whom they had already defeated this week in the semifinals of the US Open Cup.
Finally, the Vancouver Whitecaps beat the Portland Timbers 2-3.
