:quality(85)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/infobae/OAFTR43RPZB63A3ZISV4WXN3N4 "Without Messi, Inter Miami defeated Chicago Fire 2-1 and remains firmly in the lead of the MLS")
Inter Miami secured a crucial victory on the 27th matchday of the MLS once morest Chicago Fire by 2-1 in a match played on Saturday at the Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. The match was filled with emotion, following a tribute by the Florida club to Lionel Messi, who was unable to participate due to injury.
The team led by Tata Martino continues to top the Eastern Conference standings with 53 points following the victory, achieved thanks to goals from Paraguayan Matias Rojas at the 6th minute and Spanish Jordi Alba at the 75th. Rafael Czichos temporarily tied the score for the visitors at the 73rd minute.
The Herons, boasting 16 wins in 25 matches this season in American football, played with a 4-3-3 formation featuring Argentines Marcelo Weigandt, Thomas Aviles and Federico Redondo from the start. Uruguayan Luis Suarez joined Julian Gressel and Robert Taylor in the attack.
Inter Miami dominated from the first whistle in front of their fans. After a run down the left by Finn Taylor, former Racing player Matias Rojas appeared in the box and fired a low left-footed shot that went past goalkeeper Chris Brady.
In the second half, the Herons found themselves tied at 73 minutes following a great individual effort from German Czichos. He dribbled into the box, controlled the ball, and unleashed a powerful shot that beat Drake Callender. The ball went into the near post of the Inter goalkeeper, and the Chicago team, featuring Argentine Gaston Gimenez as a starter, leveled the score.
However, the visitors’ joy was short-lived. Two minutes later, Inter Miami took the lead once more, thanks to Jordi Alba. The former Barcelona full-back capitalized on a blunder in the opponent’s box, following a collision between goalkeeper Brady and a defender. He put the ball into the net to the delight of the home team and Messi, who was watching from the box and enjoying the night.
Tribute to Messi before the Inter Miami match
Minutes before the kickoff, a tarp was unfurled covering the entire center circle. It featured the name of the Rosario at the top, along with the number 45. This number in the center of the cloth refers to the number of titles won by the world’s best player throughout his career.
The 37-year-old footballer walked to the center of the field amid the applause of the crowd, who filled the stands of the Chase Stadium. A moment shared with one of the franchise’s founders, Jorge Mas, was captured by the stadium cameras. Mas embraced Leo warmly and said: “Now Leo, in front of your people, we want to present a video”.
The spectators actively used their cell phones to capture the images as the official broadcast focused on the crowd’s expressions during the short film. The film included excerpts from each of the 45 victories, including a tribute to Messi’s most recent championship in the United States.
Messi is officially the most successful player in history with this number of titles, surpassing Dani Alves by two. The victory in the America Cup with Argentina ended the controversy surrounding a trophy won with Barcelona, which some statisticians disputed as a world championship.
As the tribute concluded, reality once once more peeked through. Messi showed that he was still far from recovering from the injury he suffered once morest Colombia, and his return to the field was uncertain. The 10 left the field with a limp and yielded the stage to the match.
Inter Miami achieved an important victory on the 27th date of the MLS once morest Chicago Fire by 2-1 in a match that was played this Saturday at the Chase Stadium from Fort Lauderdale and which had an emotional tone following a tribute that the Florida club paid to Lionel Messi, who did not participate in the match due to injury.
The team that runs the Tata Martino continues at the top of the Eastern Conference standings, with 53 points following the victory achieved thanks to the goals of the Paraguayan Matias Rojas at 6 minutes, and from Spanish Jordi Alba at 75. He had temporarily tied the score Rafael Czichos for the visit, at 73.
Las Herons, who have 16 wins in 25 games this season in American football, presented a 4-3-3 formation with the Argentines Marcelo Weigandt, Thomas Aviles y Federico Redondo from the beginning and with the Uruguayan Luis Suarez accompanying Julian Gressel and Robert Taylor in the attack.
From the start, Inter Miami was the protagonist in front of its fans and, following a run down the left by the Finn Taylor, the former Racing Matias Rojas He appeared in the area to put in a low left-footed shot that sent the ball across the post of goalkeeper Chris Brady.
In the complement, the Herons They were going to suffer the tie at 73 minutes, following a great individual action by the German Czichos, who got into the area with the ball under control and with a solid shot overcame the resistance of Drake Callender. The ball entered the first post of the Inter goalkeeper and the Chicago team, in which the Argentine was a starter Gaston Gimenez marked the partial tie.
But the visitors’ joy was short-lived, as two minutes later Inter Miami made it 2-1, thanks to Jordi Alba. The former Barcelona full-back took advantage a blooper in the opponent’s area following a clash between goalkeeper Brady and a defender, he put the ball into the goal to the celebration of the home team and Messi, who was in the box enjoying the night.
Tribute to Messi before Inter Miami match
Minutes before the start, a tarp was spread out covering the entire center circle and had the name of the Rosario at the top added to the number 45 In the center of the cloth, a number that refers to the number of titles won by the best player in the world throughout his career.
The footballer of 37 years He made the long walk to the middle of the field amidst the applause of the public, who attended the stands of the Chase Stadium to observe a moment in which one of the creators of the franchise also participated, Jorge Mas. This personality received Leo with a warm hug, captured by the stadium cameras, and said: “Now Leo, in front of your people we want to present a video”.
The spectators were busy showing through their cell phones what the images were regarding because the official broadcast focused on the faces of the public during the broadcast of the brief film, which contained extracts from each of the 45 consecrations and served to remember the most recent in the United States.
It is worth remembering, Messi He is the most successful player in history with that number of titles, surpassing by two Dani Alves. The consecration in the America Cup con Argentina He banished a certain controversy that there was over a trophy won with the Barcelona that some statisticians do not tell the world champion.
At the end of the tribute, reality once once more peeked through the crack in the door because Messi He showed that he is still far from recovering from the injury suffered once morest Colombia, and there is no precise date for his return to the field. He 10 He left the field with an uneven walk and left the scene to the match.