Lionel Messi continued his goal-scoring streak as Inter Miami sealed a 4-0 win vs Charlotte in their Leagues Cup quarter-final, at the DRV PNK Stadium in Florida on Saturday. It was his eighth goal in five appearances and Inter Miami entered the semi-final, where they will face Philadelphia on Wednesday.
The quarter-final clash saw Josef Martinez open the scoring with a 12-minute penalty, followed by Robert Taylow making it 2-0 in the 32nd-minute. Meanwhile, Adilson Malanda scored an own goal in the 78th-minute to extend Miami’s lead to 3-0. Then, Messi added another in the 86th-minute to seal a 4-0 victory for his side.
Speaking after the match, Inter Miami head coach Gerardo Martino hailed the Argentine’s impact and summed up his performance with a colossal statement. “It is difficult to understand how a player can generate dangerous situations starting 40 or 50 meters away from the opponent’s goal,” he further added.
Earlier too, Martino had praised Messi’s influence on the squad. He said, “We have the best player in the world. That can’t be ignored. When we have our moments, the team is lethal. This question always gets asked in the places where he is. Someone can bet on what Barcelona would’ve looked like without Messi, what the Argentina national team would look like without Messi or anywhere he’s been.”
“Fortunately, we have him, and today he once again showed he’s a tremendously important player. The majority of times there’s a free kick in this area, and I think only with him do you get the feeling that it’s going to be a goal. A free kick usually is something where you think it won’t be a goal 90% of the time, but when he has it, it’s the opposite. You think it won’t be a goal 10% of the time, but the rest it will be,” he further added.
The former FC Barcelona manager also spoke about the club’s new signings. He said, “Facundo Farías arrived today and will join the training sessions tomorrow. Tomás Aviles will arrive tomorrow. They will both travel to Philadelphia with the team even though they might not play.”
The Argentine’s MLS debut has also been delayed. He was scheduled to face Charlotte on August 20. But due to Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup schedule, Messi’s MLS debut is expected to take place on August 26, when his side face New York Bulls. Inter Miami will also visit FC Cincinnati on August 23 for a US Open Cup semi-final.
Inter Miami are bottom of the Eastern Conference table with 18 points in 22 matches, with five wins, three draws and 14 defeats. All eyes will be on Messi, who will also be assisted by former Barcelona teammates Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets.