On Saturday evening, Inter Miami faced New York Red Bulls on the road, where despite going a goal down early on in the game – they came out emphatic 5-1 winners to make it six wins in their last seven MLS games.
Midway through the first half, with the hosts one goal to the good, Messi played an absolutely exquisite through ball to Jordi Alba, who kept his composure and fired the ball into the top corner to equalise.
Just three minutes later, and the game was completely on its head, as Telasco Segovia made it 2-1. Once again, Messi found Alba running in behind, and the 34-year old cut the ball back for Segovia to finish.
We have seen these moves move hundreds of times over the years. The two players have played with each other for 11 of the last 13 years, and you can see it in the way they play. So many times Alba has provided that outlet down the left hand side, before cutting the ball back or getting a shot off.
The reality is in the last seven or eight years of Messi’s career, Alba has actually been his biggest outlet at club level. At international level, we have seen it with Angel Di Maria and Julian Alvarez – but at club level, it has almost always been left-back Alba.
On the stroke of half time, Segovia got his second and Miami’s third goal of the game, with a brilliant finish from the edge of the box to put the visitors in control of the game.
Around the hour mark, with the Red Bulls pushing forward to get back in the game, Miami took advantage of the space and gaps they were leaving as a result, when a Busquets through ball pierced the defence and saw Messi go through on goal, where he kept his composure until the last moment to slot into a then unguarded net.
With around a quarter of an hour left, Miami had five. An excellent left footed cross from Luis Suárez found Messi inside the box. From there, he showed composure to bring the ball down, pick his spot, and fire the ball into the back of the net to put the gloss on the win.
As Suárez got the assist for that goal, all four former Barcelona players registered a goal and/or assist on the night, with former team mate Javier Mascherano in charge. A win made in Catalonia.
This brace means that Messi has scored two goals in all of the six Miami wins recorded in the last seven games. The only game he did not score in was the one defeat to Cincinnati in midweek. He and his team mates will get a chance to avenge that on Saturday, when they bring the league leaders to Florida.
The 38-year old is now on 18 MLS goals for the season, tied with Sam Surridge, though having played 522 fewer minutes, and having scored 0 penalties to Surridge’s five. He leads the league for goals and assists combined with 25 – one more than Andres Dreyer of San Diego.
Even at his age, we continue to have the pleasure of seeing this absolute genius at work. Both when it comes to scoring goals and creating chances. The greatest player of all time.
