It was a special night. At the close of the preseason Inter Miami and, for the first time in history, Lionel Messi faced this Thursday to Newell’s Old Boys, the club he loves, where he began training when he was a child and of which he is a lifelong fan. It was a international friendly at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, which ended tied 1-1.
Messi against Pérez, in Inter Miami’s friendly with Newell’s. Getty Images
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After 20 years of career as a professional, the Argentine star faced Leprosy on the field for the first time, writing another chapter in his history with the Rosario club. It was the match that ended Inter Miami’s preseason, ahead of the new MLS tournament.
A former Argentine national team midfielder with a European past played in Newell’s, like Éver Banega. In addition, he was allowed to add Pablo Pérez, who recently joined the entity, who now plays in Sarmiento de Junín but signed with the clause of being able to play this particular match against Messi and company. He also started in this match.
At 20 minutes of play, the Uruguayan Luis Suárez faced the ball dominated by the left and fell, before Leonel Vangioni’s mark, in the large area. Immediately the experienced forward demanded that he be charged with a penalty and the referee went to the VAR, but the maximum penalty was not awarded to the Miami team for not checking for contact between both players.
Inter Miami, led by Messi, dominates the actions and is the one that generates the most danger. In fact, the Argentine star almost opened the score with a left-footed touch that hit the goalkeeper’s right post. Previously, Uruguayan striker Juan Ramírez, from Newell’s, was intercepted when he was going towards the rival fence.
The Uruguayan Mauricio Larriera, coach of Newell’s, is having a great start to the season, in which, except for a fall against Racing, he accumulated four wins in as many games, which allows him to lead Zone B of the local tournament. Aware of the harshness of the Argentine calendar, he asked the club “to travel as many footballers as possible” to the United States in order to “distribute the burdens” of time and effort.
“It is a match where we face people with a lot of weight, not only at the world level, but in the history of the club,” he noted in reference to Messi and also the host coach, Gerardo. Tata Martino.
And what Larriera said he fulfilled, since he made six changes at the beginning of the complement, to give air to footballers with more minutes so far in the League Cup in Argentina and at the same time filming those who need it to take more rhythm.
Inter Miami also made changes 10 minutes into the second half and The one that everyone regretted was Messi’s. The Argentine, cared for by Martino after some physical ailments, was replaced by Lawson Sunderland. In addition, the Ecuadorian Leonardo Campana entered the premises for Suárez. And a few minutes later Haitian Shanyder Borgelin, who had entered shortly before, opened the scoring with a header for the American team.
When it seemed like it could be a victory for Inter Miami, The admitted Franco Díaz was attentive to block a ball against a defender, go straight to the goal and define very well before the departure of Drake Callender. So Newell’s equalized 1-1. And they ended up hand in hand on a special night in the United States, with Messi at the end posing for photos with rival soccer players, who sought him out to take home a beautiful souvenir.