Lionel Messi celebrated a goal again this Wednesday, for the first time since the death of his father, Jorge Messi, by scoring in Inter Miami’s 2-2 draw against Philadelphia Union, for the twentieth matchday of the MLS.
The Argentine was the protagonist of his team’s two goals and avoided another defeat for the Florida team, which has accumulated four consecutive games without winning.
Messi made it 2-1 provisionally in the 26th minute with a spectacular individual play. The forward cut defender Kai Wagner and hit a powerful left foot shot to the opposite post. After scoring, he had a contained celebration with his teammates and pointed his hands toward the sky.
The goal had a special meaning for the Inter Miami captain, who had not been able to score in the two games played since his return from Argentina after the death of his father, which occurred on August 8.
Five minutes before his goal, Messi had also participated in the visiting team’s first goal. The Argentine detected the incursion on the left wing of Luis Suárez, who extended a header for the young American Daniel Pinter to define from point-blank range.
Philadelphia Union reacted and managed to rescue the tie thanks to goals from Indiana Vassilev, in the 11th minute, and Neil Pierre, in the 58th minute.
With his goal, Messi, 39, reached 13 goals this season and became the second top scorer in the MLS, three behind Croatian Petar Musa of FC Dallas.
Inter Miami is going through a difficult time. Before the draw in Philadelphia they had suffered a 3-2 defeat against the Mexican León that meant their elimination from the Leagues Cup and later they lost 4-1 against Nashville, a match in which Messi missed a penalty.
Against Philadelphia, the Miami team also had to endure several clear chances from the locals. Canadian goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair, back in the starting lineup in place of Argentine Rocco Ríos Novo, was key to keeping his team alive.
The game also ended with a brawl in added time that left two expelled: Cavan Sullivan, the jewel of Philadelphia who was barely 16 years old, and the Italian Yannick Bright, from Inter Miami.
Meanwhile, in another of the day’s outstanding matches, Chicago Fire defeated Orlando City 2-1. Robert Lewandowski scored from a penalty, in a duel that brought together two of the great figures recently arrived in the MLS.
In addition, the Chilean Alexis Sánchez debuted with Montreal in the North American competition.
