1-1 in Los Angeles against the Galaxy

So many times social networks have been flooded with videos of ‘memory’ combinations between Lionel Messi y Jordi Alba That already seems natural and the strange thing is that they do not occur when they get together on a playing field. This Sunday, at dawn on Monday in Argentina, The Argentine world champion appeared in the 92nd minute to rescue Inter Miami and, after a double wall combination with the Spanish full-back made in Barcelona, ​​he put the 1-1 against Los Angeles Galaxyin their second meeting of the season United States MLS.

The development of the game had cost Las Garzas a lot, in their first excursion of the season away from Florida. Led by the quality of Riqui Puig, another former teammate in the culé team, the top winners of the MLS found a way to disconnect Inter: taking the ball.

But Marco Delgado’s expulsion for a double yellow card at 87′a while after the Serbian Dejan Joveljic had exploded the almost 27,000 fans that filled the Dignity Health Sports Park stadium in the city of Carson, on the outskirts of Los Angeles, changed the tone of a match that not even Messi’s quality had managed to match.

The unforced errors in possession management in the Florida team were visibly higher than last Wednesday’s debut against Real Salt Lake. It seemed that the Galaxy came out determined to ‘not respect’ the hierarchy imposed by Messi, Alba, Sergio Busquets and Luis Suárez, once again disconnected and replaced early by Tata Martino, which caused some on-air insults from the Uruguayan.

Within that sloppiness that the Argentine world champion’s team showed – which still did not have the brand new addition on the bench Fernando Redondo-, Messi was the most dangerous on the field, with two mid-range shots that forced the goalkeeper to intervene John McCarthy.

On the other side, Drake Callender was once again the figure. As during 2023 he was vital for consecration in the Leagues Cup, on the late night in Los Angeles he deactivated several dangerous opportunities, including a penalty taken by Riqui Puig at 13 minutes, which could have changed the development of the game.

Inter Miami suffered the game, it was said. Because he was not clear in possession, he was left unarmed in the retreat and the speed of the Uruguayan Fagundez, Puig and the Ghanaian Joseph Paintsil were a constant headache. But effectiveness in finishing is as important as gestation, and that’s where the team led by Greg Vanney failed.

And in the worst moment for Inter Miami, referee Gabriele Ciampi – who in several passages had the game to spare – expelled Delgado from the field. The Herons became emboldened and put the Galaxy against their goal, who tried to resist.

But at 92 minutes, Messi first wanted to leak, he gave it to Puig who ‘returned it’ as if they still played together at Barcelona. La Pulga thanked him in the best way: he built a spectacular double wall in speed to the delirium of the fans who had come to see him. Among them were other GOAT’s like the Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic and Diana Lorena Taurasi, the WNBA legend, daughter of an Argentinian woman and who lived in Rosario – precisely – during the 90’s.

McCarthy was the 246th goalkeeper to fall victim to Lionel Messi, while the Los Angeles Galaxy were the 144th team. It was La Pulga’s first goal in the new MLS season, which will have its next step on Saturday at home at Chase Stadium for the classic against Orlando.