"Messi finished the match very well. No injuries. He just felt a little tired towards the end of the match, but everything was fine overall," coach Tata Martino (Inter Miami) relieved all worries for the fans of the 36-year-old Argentine player, in the press conference after the match.
Messi smiled at the end of the match
Close-up of Messi (pink shirt) being kicked straight in the left shin by defender MacNaughton
Messi was tackled dangerously by defender MacNaughton (Nashville SC) in the 78th minute of the match. In an attempt to clear the ball, MacNaughton kicked Messi straight in the left shin, while also trying to prevent the opponent from clearing the ball. The development of the situation made everyone who witnessed it fear that the Argentine player might have broken his leg.
"Luckily for Messi, the impact from MacNaughton's kick was not strong enough to break his leg. This is an extremely scary situation, just a moment of carelessness or bad luck could end Messi's career early," emphasized Marca (Spain).
After the opponent's malicious tackle, Messi continuously reacted to the Mexican referee, Marco Antonio Ortiz Nava, but player MacNaughton was not given any card, causing many questions for fans.
"It's hard to believe, this is a situation that could have ended the career of the greatest player in football history. However, the referee did not give any card to the Nashville SC player. Not only this situation, many times during the match, Nashville SC players always tried to break Messi's magical left leg to prevent scoring opportunities. Luckily, Messi overcame without any worrying effects that could have caused serious injury," an account on the social network X (formerly Twitter) expressed.
Despite the opponent's malicious tackles, Messi still managed to score a beautiful goal to shorten the score for Inter Miami before Suarez equalized 2-2 in extra time.
The tough and uncompromising play of Nashville SC players left Messi and his teammates deadlocked throughout the first half. Inter Miami was also down 2-0 with a brace from Jacob Shaffelburg in the 4th and 46th minutes. However, in a difficult situation, Messi tried his best with his close friend Suarez to score 2 goals to tie the score 2-2 for the home team.
These goals have helped Messi and Suarez now score a total of 7 goals and have 5 assists for Inter Miami after just 4 matches in the first 2024 season. Of which, Messi scored 4 goals and had 1 assist, while Suarez scored 3 goals and had 4 assists. The combination of the duo, who were once famous at FC Barcelona, was once again extremely effective when they played together at FC Inter Miami in the final stage of their careers.
Messi (right) and Suarez continue to shine in Inter Miami colors
The 2-2 draw with Nashville SC in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup round of 16 gives Inter Miami a big advantage in reaching the quarterfinals, as they only need a 0-0 or 1-1 draw to advance in the second leg at home at 7:15 a.m. on March 14. The CONCACAF Champions Cup still counts away goals from the knockout rounds. Before this match, Messi and his teammates will play their fourth match in MLS against CF Montreal at 4 a.m. on March 11, also at home.
If they win the CONCACAF Champions Cup, Messi and Inter Miami will qualify for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
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