Parthik Rathi
Lionel Messi scored from a direct free-kick to make it 4-4 for his side before converting from the spot in the shootout too.
In just four appearances for his new club Inter Miami, World Cup winner and Argentine legend Lionel Messi has become the side’s top scorer in the ongoing 2023 season.
The entire Europe has seen Lionel Messi scoring clutch goals for Barcelona over the years in his club career. On Sunday, even Major League Soccer saw the Argentine maestro rising to the occasion and scoring a much-needed equaliser for the club from a free-kick. Messi, known for scoring some of the most spectacular free-kicks in his distinguished football career, put the ball past the FC Dallas goalkeeper late in the game, helping his team equalise 4-4 and pushing the Leagues Cup Round of 16 match into the penalty shootout.
Inter Miami looked down and out at one point in the game. At the half-way mark, Messi’s side trailed 1-2 before Dallas extended their lead to 2-goals, making it 3-
1. But, Robert Taylor’s own goal at the 68th minute mark gave Miami hope. Messi’s free-kick then ensured that the game wouldn’t end without a penalty shootout.
In the penalty shootout, Inter Miami converted all 5 of their chances from the spot, securing a 5-3 win over Dallas to move into the next round. Miami’s Benjamin Cremaschi scored the final penalty to seal the win for his side after Dallas’ Paxton Pomykal had missed the second kick.
Messi tied the game in the 85th with a brilliant free kick into the right side of the net.
If his game-winning free kick in his Inter Miami debut was the most memorable, this kick had to be the most exciting so far in his MLS tenure, helping Inter Miami crawl back out of a two-goal deficit in the second half.
“I thought we had it,” FC Dallas coach Nico Estévez said. “We put them in a really dimcult position in this game.”
Messi and Inter Miami advance to the Leagues Cup quarterfinals on Aug. 11 or 12, where they await the winner of Monday night’s Houston Dynamo FC- Charlotte FC matchup.
“I think it’s not much to say. I think everyone can see it,” Estévez said. “It’s obvious for him a free kick around there is like a PK for another player.”
Messi’s game-tying goal set the stage for the penalty kick shootout, for which he won the coin toss and then made the first goal.
FC Dallas’ Paxton Pomykal missed the second kick, dooming the home team after an impressive performance considering the stage.
