On the backs of Lionel Messi’s two otherworldly goals, Inter Miami defeated the Columbus Crew 3-2 to win their first Supporters Shield in club history. Inter Miami clinched the best record in the MLS in the win, earning the Supporters Shield. Of course, Inter Miami was led by Messi. The legend netted himself a brace in the competition while strengthening his case for MVP.
His first goal in the game came on a classic connection with former Barca teammate Jordi Alba. Alba lofts a beautiful pass in between two defenders to Messi, who dances around two defenders and the goalie to open the scoring. It’s hard to put into words how freaking cool this is. Look at the arc on that pass, it was going to nobody but Messi.
His second goal was an absolute stunner of a free kick, sneaking in directly on the lower left corner of the goal. The goalie had no shot of getting to it, a phenomenal goal that just feels like a day in the office for Messi.
Even with two Messi goals and an additional goal from Luis Suarez, Inter Miami found themselves on the brink of going to extra time tied. With Columbus up for a penalty, it was up to goalie Drake Callender to save the day.
He did just that.
With the win, Inter Miami finishes an incredible turnaround, going from being one of the worst teams in the league to the best record in the league. Messi played a large role in that en route to his 46th career trophy won in professional soccer, adding on 17 goals and 15 assists for Inter Miami.
Miami’s turnaround is one of the most incredible things people have seen in the MLS, and Messi’s arrival helped make it a reality. After being started and bought by soccer legend David Beckham, Inter Miami struggled. A poor finish in their inaugural season and the subsequent 2021 season left the team reeling, a group that looked lost and without any sense of direction. 2022 saw the team add Gonzalo Higuain, but they still couldn’t break through, finishing 12th. With Messi, Alba, Suarez and Sergio Busquets joining Inter Miami, the team immediately shot up the rankings, culminating in a Supporters Shield victory.
Now, with the Supporters Shield in tow, Inter Miami will play their first game as Supporters Shield champions against Toronto FC on October 5.
