Many of the players from FC Dallas wanted to take a photo with Lionel Messi following their League Cup loss to Inter Miami, which upset their supporters.
Tata Martino’s men prevailed on penalties in the nail-biting Round of 16 Leagues Cup match between the two teams at Texas’ Toyota Stadium. The World Cup winner delivered another outstanding effort, as his two goals assisted in his team’s 4-4 tie after extra time and 5-4 victory in the shootout.
Dallas’ fans were stunned to see how eager the players were to take a photo with Messi after he had just defeated them, and many took to Twitter to express their dismay. One fan commented, “You get eliminated from a competition then you line up to take pictures with the guy who did it lmao this is unheard of.”
Someone another exclaimed in shock, “They were supposed to be sad, but look at this?” Somebody else said, “They don’t care that they just lost.” Messi continued his impressive scoring streak by netting the game’s first goal just six minutes in by latching onto a cross intended for Jordi Alba. From just outside the box, he unleashed his signature curling left-foot finish into the bottom corner.
Messi and his teammates trailed in the match twice for the first time in his Inter Miami tenure. They trailed 2-1 at the break before Dallas increased its lead to 3-1 after Alan Velasco’s free kick in the 63rd minute.
And just after Inter scored to get within one, Robert Taylor made a mistake and put the ball in his own net. Inter Miami was given a free kick as the game reached its last ten minutes with a 4-2 deficit.
They were given a chance when Messi swung the ball into the box and Marco Farfan turned it into his own net. The seven-time Balon d’Or winner stepped up to take another free kick with Inter Miami trailing 4-3 just five minutes later.
As he did on his debut against Cruz Azul, Messi blasted the ball into the top corner of the goal to tie the game and force overtime. This one was within shooting distance. Miami progressed to the next round after the football legend’s first of five successful spot-kicks in the shootout.
The victory over Dallas was a first for the team, and they will now play either Charlotte FC or Houston Dynamo in the quarterfinals. In just four outings for his new squad, Messi has already scored seven goals, and manager Martino is overjoyed with the start he has made.
“We possess the world’s top player. This cannot be disregarded. The team is lethal when we have our moments,” he remarked. “Wherever he goes, this subject is always raised. Anyone can wager on what Messi’s absence from Barcelona, the Argentina national team, or any other location would have looked like. Thankfully, he’s here, and tonight he once again proved why he’s such a crucial component.