Leo Messi in the United States will be what Leo wants. For the Argentine, this new adventure in America is child’s play. If in the first few minutes, he already left a great free-kick goal to remember, in his second game, the first as a starter, he led Inter Miami’s rout of Atlanta United (4-0). The Argentine scored the first two goals and showed his superiority around Fort Lauderdale to make it clear that his appetite is insatiable.
Seen what has been seen in these first two meetings, Messi has known how to choose a beautiful setting for retirement. Surrounded by friends – Busquets has plenty and Alba is yet to arrive -, in front of a dedicated public and in a framework of competitiveness conducive to imposing his class. The Argentine’s teammates look for him and his rivals respect him. This combination, together with Leo’s natural gift, serves to ensure that the 10 is on the way to being a nice walk towards his umpteenth sporting success.
Under that scenario, Leo looked for one more time. Atlanta started with enthusiasm and warned with a poisoned center that ended up on the post. It was the prelude to the first goal of the game. Busquets put it in the race for Messi and the Argentine, who resolved the one-on-one with a shot at the post, picked up his own rebound to score at will.
Taylor is Messi’s new partner
Starting from the right wing, Leo teamed up as usual, coming from the outside in, throwing down walls, and finding two good partners in Josef Martínez and especially in Robert Taylor. The Finn assisted Leo in the purest Jordi Alba style, with a low pass back from the baseline, so that Messi signed the second goal of the night in Miami.
Far from settling, Inter Miami decided to draw blood against a dedicated, almost harmless rival. In a great collective play, Taylor shot Guzan from a heeled position to make the third. Those of Tata Martino left with the game resolved at half-time.
But just in case there was any glimmer of hope for the visitor, Taylor repeated his partnership with Messi to make the fourth at the beginning of the second act. The 10 started the counterattack and the Finn did the rest when the ball fell inside the area. The game had already become an attraction for Messi and his teammates.
Tata Martino decided to give Busquets a break twenty minutes from the end and Atlanta, always with Thiago Almada as the only agitator, forgave a couple of good chances to make up the result and even missed a penalty in the final stretch of the game. Just a few minutes after the change of Busquets, it was Leo who led the way to the bench. Match resolved. One more day in Messi’s new office. Now the American dream is more real than ever. The 10 has come to do great things.
