Lionel Messi found the net just two minutes after entering as a second-half substitute, helping Inter Miami secure a 2-1 win against the Philadelphia Union at home.
The 37-year-old Argentine star, who had been sidelined with an adductor strain that caused him to miss Argentina’s recent World Cup qualifiers, made an immediate impact upon his return. Messi had sustained the injury during Miami’s previous MLS match, a 2-1 victory at Atlanta on March 16.
Miami had taken the lead in the 23rd minute when Finnish winger Robert Taylor converted a low pass from Benjamin Cremaschi following Jordi Alba’s run down the left side.
Coach Javier Mascherano introduced Messi in the 55th minute, and the impact was instantaneous. Former Barcelona teammate Luis Suarez found Messi on the right side of the field, where he created space with a clever move before firing a low right-footed shot into the far corner of the net.
Philadelphia managed to narrow the deficit in the 80th minute when Quinn Sullivan delivered a cross from the right wing that Hungarian midfielder Daniel Gazdag controlled before finishing with a sharp shot.
The victory keeps Inter Miami unbeaten atop the Eastern Conference with four wins from their opening five matches this season.
Miami now faces a demanding schedule, beginning with a trip to Los Angeles for the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinal against LAFC on Wednesday. This will be followed by a home fixture against Toronto the subsequent Sunday, with the return leg against LAFC three days later.
Mascherano explained the decision to start Messi on the bench was precautionary: “We didn’t want to risk him from the start because we thought he might be at risk playing the whole game, but we did want him to get some minutes.”
“The plan is that he can recover and travel to Los Angeles. He played today because he was fine. Maybe he wasn’t ready for the full 90 minutes but it was good for him to play 45 minutes. If nothing unusual happens the plan is for him to travel,” the Argentine coach added.
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