Inter Miami CF 3-1 Nashville SC (14 Mar, 2024) Game Analysis - ESPN (UK)

Rewritten: As of March 14, 2024 at 2:58 in the morning, the blog has been modified.

Lionel Messi created a goal at the beginning of the game before scoring one himself. He then left the match, but his team, Inter Miami CF, went on to win 5-3 in the Concacaf Champions Cup. This win means they have progressed to the quarterfinals of the tournament for club teams in the region.

Both teams had an aggregate score of 2-2 from the previous game played in Nashville. However, Miami took the lead thanks to Luis Suárez’s goal at the end of a well-combined effort with Messi. Later on, Miami's former Barcelona player scored one of his own goals with a relaxed finish from the center of the penalty box, giving them a comfortable two-goal lead.

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Messi started playing in the second half, but the coach of Miami, Gerardo Martino, replaced him with Robert Taylor just five minutes later. It's not certain why Messi, who took a break during Miami's 3-2 defeat against Montreal in MLS on Sunday, was substituted, especially in the early part of the second half.

Martino explained after the match that Leo was experiencing excessive strain in his right leg muscles and the team didn't want to jeopardize his well-being. Despite attempting to have him continue after halftime, it became clear that the discomfort was significant, leading them to withdraw him from the match for his own safety.

Messi has scored a goal for the fourth game in a row. This has increased his stats for this season to five goals and four assists in five matches for Miami.

Although Nashville was losing 2-0, they appeared formidable during the beginning of the second half. Miami's Drake Callender managed to make two impressive saves to maintain his team's lead.

The team playing on their own ground secured their victory once they reached the hour mark. Suarez executed an excellent pass from the right and Taylor jumped to score an impressive curved header, making the lead 3-0.

In the dying seconds of the second-half, Nashville managed to put one on the board with a goal from Sam Surridge who finished off a cross delivered by Shaq Moore. Although it may not have been enough to change the outcome of the game, it was a small victory for Nashville and a positive note for Surridge and Moore.

In the CCC quarterfinals starting from April 2nd, Miami will face-off against either Monterrey or FC Cincinnati, the victors of the round of 16 match. Prior to that, Miami will have a game away against D.C. United on March 16th.

Messi is also anticipated to participate in some capacity in two friendly matches for Argentina later in the month against El Salvador and Costa Rica. The World Cup winners are gearing up to guard their Copa America honors this summer, which will be held in the United States, where the CONMEBOL cup tournament takes place.

Before Sunday's game against Montreal, the Miami star had a shin injury and there were doubts about whether he would play or not. However, Martino announced after the match that they had planned to give Messi a rest regardless of his injury.

The remainder of the game appeared to be favorable for Messi's display on Wednesday, as he immediately showcased his talents.

He was awarded a free kick in the opening minutes of the game due to a foul by Aníbal Godoy from Nashville, however, his shot was prevented by the opposing team. Taking advantage of his next chance, the 36-year-old utilized his astute perceptiveness to find an opening and deliver a pass to Suárez who was sprinting towards the goal. Suárez made sure to place the ball perfectly in the bottom right corner of the net.

After getting a pass from Diego Gómez, Messi scored a goal whilst being inside the penalty area. This resulted in fans chanting his name. Then, Taylor scored Miami's third goal.

In the latter part of the second half, Nashville had a shot at scoring when Hany Mukhtar managed to outmaneuver Miami's defense and successfully took a shot at the goal. However, the referees disallowed the goal after an extensive review, stating that Mukhtar was in an offside position.

On Wednesday, for the fourth instance, head coach Gary Smith's Nashville team encountered Messi after his inclusion in Inter Miami and MLS last year.

Before Wednesday, they had tied in three matches. Miami won the first one with a score of 10-9 on penalty kicks during the 2023 Leagues Cup final. Messi scored early in the regular match and was the first to convert his penalty kick, leading Miami to its first-ever club trophy win.

"Before Wednesday's game, Smith commented on the ongoing dilemma," referring to how tough it is to stop a player from performing exceptionally well. "One might create a team and devise strategies that can minimize his abilities. But even the most proficient defenders and organized teams have failed to stop such high-caliber players like him, as his career has shown."

This summary uses data gathered by The Associated Press.