Inter Miami made their MLS debut with a win and and Messi drove the fans crazy

After almost four months, this Wednesday Inter Miami played again an official match. They had ended their participation in the previous season early, as they did not qualify for the Eastern Conference playoffs. That is why this year they prepared throughout the preseason to improve their performances and compete for the title.

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And the start of 2024 was excellent. In the opener of Major League Soccer 2024, they faced Real Salt Lake at the DRV PNK Stadium in Miami and got a key 2-0 victory. The first goal came in the 39th minute, when Lionel Messi set up Robert Taylor, who shot with his right foot and beat the resistance of goalkeeper Zac MacMath. And a few minutes before the final whistle, Diego Gomez doubled the lead after an excellent combination between Messi and Luis Suarez.

However, the play that most caught the attention of the fans in the stadium and the millions watching on TV was not either of the goals, but a stroke of genius by Lionel Messi. At 43 minutes into the first half The Herons were attacking Real Salt Lake and Leo had the ball at his feet near the box. At that moment, an opposing player fell to the ground from a collision and the Argentine forward dribbled him with a subtle touch of the ball over his body that allowed him to find the space he needed to shoot, although he was then blocked by a defender.

This caused all kinds of reactions on social media. Some highlighted Messi's genius, with phrases like "With Messi you never stop surprising yourself", "He brings a smile to my face, he makes me so happy. I love you Messi, I love you until the last day of my life" and "What Messi just did makes no sense." But others felt that this was disrespectful and that he should have stopped to allow doctors to assist the opposing player: "If Cristiano Ronaldo does this, he'll get beaten to death. But of course, you know".

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They will have no time to rest

The match between Inter Miami and Real Salt Lake was the first of the Major League Soccer season. But the entirety of Matchday 1 of the tournament will be played between Saturday and Sunday. So the Herons will have their second game in just three days, against LA Galaxy in California. Then they will face Orlando City at the DRV PNK Stadium on Saturday, March 2.