At 9:00 a.m. Beijing time on February 22, the first game of the 2024 MLS regular season: Miami International vs Real Salt Lake City.
Last season, Miami finished second to last in the East during the regular season and missed the playoffs. Real Salt Lake qualified for the playoffs in fifth place in the West, but were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Houston Dynamo.
Yes, Miami International started the 433 formation, Messi, Suarez, and Tete formed a forward trident, midfielders Gomez, Busquets, Julian, four defenders Alba, Kryfsov, Avilés, Yedlin, and goalkeeper Callender. The starting eleven is worth a total of 63 million euros.
Real Salt Lake City started the 4231 formation, center Christian Arango, forward Luna, Pablo Ruiz, Carlos Gomez, double back Palacio and Ojeda, four back Brody, Bryan Bella, Glide, Enerli, goalkeeper McMath. The total value of the starting eleven is 25.35 million euros.
After the start of the game, Inter Miami had a clear advantage on the field.
In the first minute, Messi received a pass from his teammates in the penalty area, did not stop the ball, and the ball went out of the bottom line.
In the 6th minute, Suarez received a cross from a teammate and shot wide.
In the 7th minute, Messi and Suarez wanted to collide with the wall, but the goalkeeper saw through it and confiscated the ball in advance.
Real Salt Lake isn't without a fightback. In the 13th minute, Real Salt Lake attacked, Arango almost got a single chance in front of the court, and the Miami International goalkeeper attacked in time and cleared his teammate's return pass with a big foot.
In the 16th minute, Inter Miami won a free kick in front, Messi took a direct shot at goal, and the defender cleared the ball with a header on the goal line.
In the 17th minute, Suarez kicked the goal from the top of the arc and was picked up by the goalkeeper.
In the 38th minute, Messi sent a diagonal plug in the middle of the field, and Taylor scored in the penalty area. Inter Miami leads Real Salt Lake City 1-0.
In the 83rd minute, Messi instigated an attack, and Suarez took the ball in the penalty area and sent a wonderful pass. Inter Miami sealed the win with 2:0 Real Salt Lake City. Won the MLS regular season of the new season and sat at the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
Not long ago, a former American international believed that Miami International may not be able to compete for the championship in the new season, mainly because Messi and Suarez are too old.
The 2-0 defeat of Real Salt Lake City at home does not mean anything, the advantage is not obvious, and the pace of the game is too slow, the confrontation is insufficient, and it is similar to the Chinese Super League, and the age disadvantage of Messi and Suarez has not been exposed. But at least making the playoffs is still favorable. It's not going to be like last season, and it's hard to find a win at the bottom for a long time.
Of course, the team's biggest weakness may not be the age of the superstars, but the manager. This head coach, Messi's relation, whether he coached Barcelona or the Argentine national team before, was obviously unworthy.