April 07, (THEWILL) – Lionel Messi’s return to the pitch for Inter Miami proved eventful, as the Argentine legend scored after coming off the bench, but his team were held to a 2-2 draw by the Colorado Rapids in Major League Soccer early on Sunday morning.
Messi, who had been sidelined for almost a month with a hamstring injury, was named among the substitutes for the home game. The 35-year-old had missed Wednesday’s 2-1 defeat to Monterrey in the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinal, and with the return leg looming, Inter coach Gerard Martino opted to rotate his squad.
Martino fielded a heavily second-string lineup, with Messi’s former Barcelona teammates Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba also on the bench. The youthful starting XI looked comfortable but fell behind on the stroke of halftime when defender Ryan Sailor’s rash challenge in the box on Colorado’s Kevin Cabral resulted in a penalty, which was converted by the Rapids’ Rafael Navarro.
Messi was brought on after the interval and made an instant impact, bringing Miami level within 12 minutes of his introduction. The Argentine World Cup winner then played a key role in Miami’s second goal, bursting forward from midfield and setting up David Ruiz, whose cross was finished by debutant, Leonardo Afonso. Messi then came close to adding a third, forcing a fine save from Colorado goalkeeper Zack Steffen and striking the woodwork.
However, Miami were unable to hold on, as Colorado equalised in the 88th minute through Cole Bassett. While Martino was disappointed to have dropped two points, he was pleased with Messi’s return and confident it would boost the team’s chances ahead of the second leg against Monterrey.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
