Lionel Messi leads Inter Miami to 3-2 win over Columbus Crew: Insights

With the 2-0 loss to Inter Miami, it was familiar territory for the team.

Earlier this season, Columbus managed to overcome that deficit and defeat Miami. The difference between then and the last time the clubs met is that Miami had its star striker Lionel Messi this time.

On Wednesday, the team lost 3-2 to Miami after two goals from Messi, who was playing his first game ever against Columbus. The victory secured Miami the 2024 Supporters' Shield, a title awarded to the club with the best regular season record.

Repetition:Lionel Messi scores 2 goals, Columbus Crew loses 3-2 to Inter Miami

Looking at the score, it's easy to conclude that Messi was the reason Miami walked out of Lower.com Field victorious, and Messi played a big role in building Miami's lead by scoring in the scored two goals in the first half.

“He had one and a half chances and scored two goals,” Crew coach Wilfried Nancy said. “That’s why he’s Messi. I think they did a good job. They controlled what they needed to control.”

However, Messi's most impressive moments of the game all came before half-time. In the other 45-plus minutes, it was the crew that got in their own way.

The team gained momentum several times in the second half. This momentum would continue until they made a serious mistake or failed to capitalize on a scoring opportunity.

Shortly after Diego Rossi scored the team's first goal, goalkeeper Patrick Schulte and defender Rudy Camacho collided, allowing Miami player Luis Suarez to score. And just two minutes after striker Cucho Hernandez cut the lead to 3-2 with a penalty, Camacho was shown a red card for his second yellow card of the game.

The crew had to play with ten men for over 25 minutes to finish the game.

“Football is that simple,” Nancy said. “They wanted to do well. Rudy has saved us many times during the season and tonight he didn’t have a good night, he knows that.”

It took Lionel Messi just five minutes to put his two goals for Inter Miami in the Columbus Crew net

For much of the first half, the team managed to keep Messi and Miami's entire lineup from launching almost any offensive action. The only shot Miami fired before Messi's goal was an attempt by Suarez in the 40th minute that Schulte parried.

Five minutes later, Messi saw his first opportunity in the Crew penalty area.

After battling two defenders for the ball, Messi went one-on-one with Schulte and won by smashing his shot past the team's goalkeeper. Another five minutes later, Messi prepared a free kick just outside the team's penalty area after Camacho committed a foul, leading to Messi's second goal.

“Of course it’s difficult to prepare for a player like that,” said Crew midfielder Max Arfsten. “We just tried to know exactly where he was because he finds good spaces and just did what we could to limit his chances. And it goes without saying that he has quality.”

“Unfortunate” events led to Columbus Crew failing to capitalize in the second half against Inter Miami

Columbus found a chance in the first minute of the second half when Rossi scored the team's first goal, and the crowd at Lower.com Field roared loudly.

The celebration continued as the referees determined there were no infractions on Rossi's goal and Miami knocked the ball away after the restart.

In the short time it took Rossi to cut Miami's lead to 2-1, Miami would be able to flip the lead to two goals.

Suarez was sent into the Crew penalty area with a long pass less than 30 seconds after Miami's kickoff. As Schulte tried to pass the ball, Camacho ran with his back to the goal and ran straight into Schulte. The hit knocked the ball right out of Schulte's hands, setting up Suarez for an easy header.

“It was loud in there,” Schulte said. “I called the goalkeeper but I guess he wasn't loud enough. It was right after we shot, so it rocked. And from my point of view, I just had to be louder and maybe fight them off.” Next time a little later.

Camacho's night got even worse when he received the red card that took him out of the game. But despite his big mistake, which resulted in Miami conceding their third goal and reducing their crew to ten men, there were still opportunities for Columbus.

The Crew had free scoring opportunities in the second half, with Miami managing to commit two handball violations in their own penalty area. This gave Hernandez two penalty attempts.

Hernandez practiced his first attempt, but on his second attempt in the 84th minute, Miami goalkeeper Drake Callender got in the lane and parried Hernandez's shot with a diving save.

“It’s difficult,” Crew midfielder Darlington Nagbe said. “At this point it’s just a mental question of how quickly we can recover from this. I thought we did a good job getting the second goal and I thought it was just a matter of time. If we play longer I think we can get the third and then unlucky not to convert the penalty, but Cucho, he is who he is and he usually shoots those down.”

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