Messi leads Miami to first trophy with Leagues Cup win

AFP, Nashville :
Lionel Messi scored a screamer and won his first trophy in North American soccer as Inter Miami beat Nashville on penalties (10-9) after their final ended 1-1 in 90 minutes.

The Argentine World Cup winner had put Miami ahead in the 24th minute with a wonder strike into the top corner but Fafa Picault levelled for Nashville in the second half.

After Leonardo Campana missed a last second chance to win the game in regulation for Miami, the game went to a shoot-out which ended in a duel between the two keepers and Elliot Panicco’s shot being saved by Miami’s Drake Callender.

Messi and his team-mates rushed to celebrate with the American goalkeeper, who had made some key saves late in the game to keep his team alive.

“The grit, just the belief and what we’re capable of. It’s something special and I’m just blessed to be a part of it,” he said.

Miami, in their third season of existence were rock bottom of Major League Soccer when Messi joined them a month ago but he has utterly transformed the team leading them on an unbeaten run to the League Cup title.

The seven-times Ballon d’Or winner has now scored 10 goals in seven games in the pink shirt of his new club and on Wednesday has the chance to reach another final when his team take on Cincinnati in the semi-final of the US Open Cup.

This was not the dominant, entertaining Miami that in the past month has lit up the tournament, featuring MLS and Mexican Liga MX clubs, but the win was sweet nonetheless.

“It was very exciting. The draw was a fair result and on penalties is the luck of the champion, which in this case came in our favor,” said Spanish midfielder Sergio Busquets.

“I am very happy to win our first title in just one month, the club’s first. The team is growing by leaps and bounds and we are very happy,” he said.

“We have infected the team with our spirit, our work, our character and experience. We are making a solid team … And then we have Leo, who makes a difference because he’s the best in the world.”

Nashville set out with the clear intention to limit the impact of Busquets and by extension Messi and they were effective in forcing Miami to play a slower type of possession football, deeper in their own half.