News
Messi Shines As Inter Miami Clinches Supporters’ Shield With Victory Over Columbus Crew
Lionel Messi’s undeniable talent and resilience, Inter Miami secured the Supporters’ Shield after a pulsating 3-2 win against the defending Major League Soccer champions, the Columbus Crew.
First Half Drama
The first half saw Inter Miami holding the majority of possession but struggling to break through the Crew’s defense.
However, in the 45th minute, Messi found his moment. Chest controlling a long ball from Jordi Alba into the box, he managed to beat Columbus defender Malte Amundsen, getting a fortunate bounce off the latter before poking the ball home.
Just moments later, Messi struck again. This time, he showed his ability to read the game as he stepped up to take a free kick. The Crew’s wall was poorly organized, allowing Messi to curl a perfect shot into the corner of the net, leaving Columbus goalkeeper Patrick Schulte rooted to the spot.
With this double blow just before halftime, Inter Miami went into the locker room with a commanding 2-0 lead.
Second Half Fighting Spirit
The second half began with a jolt as Columbus Crew responded almost immediately. Just 20 seconds after the restart, Diego Rossi capitalized on a moment of chaos in Miami’s defense, curling a shot into the far corner of the net and bringing the Crew back to within one goal.
This early response injected life into the Crew, creating great momentum.
However, right from the kickoff following Rossi’s goal, the tide quickly turned again. Columbus’s goalkeeper, Schulte, made a crucial error when he raced off his line but, hampered by defender Rudy Camacho, dropped the ball directly to Luis Suarez. Without hesitation, Suarez headed the ball into the unguarded net, reinstituting Inter Miami’s two-goal advantage at 3-1.
Leo Messi and Luis Suarez celebrating against Columbus Crew
Continued Tension
The Crew, undeterred by the setback, showed their fighting spirit. They clawed back into the match once more through a penalty awarded for a handball by Noah Allen inside the box.
Cucho Hernandez stepped up to take the spot-kick and coolly converted, making it 3-2. However, their joy was short-lived; the tide quickly shifted again when Camacho was shown a second yellow card for a reckless studs-up challenge on Federico Redondo, leaving Miami with ten men.
A Nail-Biting Finish
As the clock wound down, the Crew pushed for an equalizer, and their determination nearly paid off. With just seven minutes remaining, a VAR review awarded Columbus another penalty for handball against Lan Fray.
This presented a golden opportunity for Hernández to dramatically level the score.
However, with the weight of the game on his shoulders, the Colombian’s effort was disappointingly weak. Miami keeper Drake Callender made an impressive dive to his right, ensuring that the ball stayed out and sealing the victory for Inter Miami.
A Historic Day for Inter Miami
Lionel Messi’s remarkable performance, where he scored two goals and reaffirmed his place as a game-changer, was pivotal in securing the Supporters’ Shield for Inter Miami. With this win, he also recorded an astonishing tally of 17 goals and 15 assists in just 17 matches since joining the club.
“I’m happy to achieve the first goal and think about what’s coming. Today was a very tough opponent. We knew it, they are the last champion, of the Leagues Cup. They are a great team,” Messi told Apple TV.
“(Although they were) down a man, we suffered until the end and that shows what this team is,” he said.
Meet again?
The champion of MLS is determined by the winner of the MLS Cup playoffs where Eastern Conference rivals the Crew and Miami could meet again.
Inter Miami has accumulated 68 points with two matches left to play, guaranteeing their position as the top team in the MLS this season. Should they win both games, they will set a new record for the most points in a single season.
Inter, the Eastern Conference top seeds, will have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Columbus is second in the East, with Cincinnati, who lost 3-2 to New York City, in third place. Orlando, who beat Philadelphia 2-1, is fourth.
The teams finishing in eighth and ninth place in each conference will compete in the wildcard round. The first round of the playoffs will follow a “best of three” format, with the top four teams receiving the advantage of two home games.
Meanwhile, both the conference semi-finals and finals will be single-elimination matches.
Messi said the Shield was a “secondary” prize for his team and said the MLS Cup title remains the main goal for the team.
“The first objective has been achieved and now we have to think about what’s next,” he said.
“The first round is three games, but then it’s one game, and anything can happen. But we have the great advantage of playing all the games at home, which is what we were looking for. We are very strong at home.”
Seventh-placed Charlotte, managed by former Aston Villa coach Dean Smith, clinched the last automatic spot in the Eastern Conference after Karol Swiderski scored two goals in a thrilling 4-3 victory against the Chicago Fire.
Brazilian Gabriel Pirani scored two goals in stoppage time, leading DC United to a dramatic 4-3 comeback victory over Nashville and keeping their wildcard hopes alive.
