The absurd statistic about Messi that explains Inter Miami's loss to FC Dallas

Inter Miami is getting closer and closer to the start of the 2024 season. At the end of February they will begin participating in Major League Soccer, where they will debut against Real Salt Lake at DRV PNK Stadium. And the following month they will begin their journey in the CONCACAF Champions League, perhaps their most ambitious goal for this year, as winning the title will earn them a place in the 2025 Club World Cup.

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Manager Gerardo Martino knows that the Herons will need to get off to a good start in both tournaments because the demands are enormous. Therefore, his plan is to play as many friendlies as possible during the preseason so that the team can improve their performance and be ready when the official matches arrive.

This Monday they had their second friendly, against Dallas FC, at the Cotton Bowl. And there they lost 1-0 because of Jesus Ferreira's goal in the beginning of the first half. That was a hard blow for Martino's team, who gradually started to control the ball and create chances to score the leveller.

Lionel Messi was the protagonist of several of these moves. First he received an assist from Sergio Busquets and shot with his left foot, forcing an excellent save from Maarten Paes. And the goalkeeper did it again minutes later, when Leo tried to score an 'Olimpico' goal. In the second half the Argentine forward had another chance before being replaced, but Paes saved it too. Incredibly, Inter Miami have failed to score goals in their first two games of the year, despite having two of the best forwards in the world: Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi.

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What's next for them?

Next week Inter Miami will fly to Asia for a tour starting in Saudi Arabia, where they will face Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr, then travel to Hong Kong to play an all-star league team and finally face Vissel Kobe in Japan. Upon their return to the United States, The Herons will play their final friendly against Newell's Old Boys on February 15 at DRV PNK Stadium.