Fort Lauderdale, FL – In a highly anticipated return from injury, Lionel Messi dazzled fans with two goals and an assist, leading Inter Miami to a 3-1 Major League Soccer victory over the Philadelphia Union on Saturday.
Messi, who had been sidelined since injuring his right ankle in the Copa America final on July 14, showed no signs of rust as he scored his first goal in the 26th minute, collecting a pass from Luis Suarez and beating defender Kai Wagner before unleashing a right-footed shot.
Just four minutes later, Messi struck again, connecting with Jordi Alba and firing a left-footed shot into the bottom right corner to give Inter Miami a 2-1 lead.
“The truth is that I’m a little tired,” Messi said after the match. “The heat and humidity in Miami don’t help much either, but I really wanted to come back, I had been off of the field for a long time. Little by little I was training with the group, feeling good, and that’s why we decided that I would start, and I’m very happy – very happy.”
Miami coach Gerardo Martino was delighted to see his star come out “feeling good” after 90 minutes. “Both played the whole game because they were fine to finish the game,” Martino said, referring to Messi and Suarez, who also scored a goal in the match.
The victory extended Inter Miami’s lead at the top of the MLS standings to 62 points, 10 points clear of their closest Eastern Conference challengers FC Cincinnati with six games remaining in the regular season.
Messi’s two goals put him back in contention for the title of top scorer, and he expressed his pleasure with the team’s performance despite his lengthy absence. “During the year we were very unlucky with injuries, we were never at full strength,” he said. “For one reason or another, we were always missing players, and the group always came through. Today we are in first place with a big difference, and deservedly so, and hopefully, we can finish on top for what it means and what comes after that.”
