Lionel Messi continues to rise to the occasion on the big stage. The two-time defending Landon Donovan MLS MVP scored the match-winner as Inter Miami beat DC United 2-1 in front of a record crowd of 72,026 at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on Saturday. The goal brought Messi to 90 goal contributions in just 56 MLS appearances, made up of 53 goals and 37 assists.
The strike also pushed him to 899 career goals across all competitions in 1,140 senior appearances for club and country, leaving him one shy of the 900 mark.
“Everything Leo generates has become normal,” said Miami head coach Javier Mascherano. “Sometimes, when things become natural like that, they seem normal.”
Mascherano credited the team’s mentality rather than the occasion for the result, noting that the club demands a great deal from itself regardless of external circumstances. He also acknowledged that Messi’s presence has played a major role in growing the sport’s audience in the United States.
The win was not without concern, however. Miami were unable to hold a clean sheet despite taking the lead, and Mascherano made clear the performance left room for improvement.
“From today’s game, try to finish it better,” he said. “The feeling of not having control of the game is strange for us. We’re a team that tends to control games. And when we don’t, you can tell we’re not happy.”
It has been an uneven start to the season for the defending MLS Cup champions, who opened with a 3-0 loss to LAFC before rallying for a 4-2 comeback win over Orlando City on Matchday 2.
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