Lionel Messi He is an idol of multitudes. And now he too is the object of devotion of the rich and famous. The successful crossover between the world champion captain in Qatar 2022 and the land of opportunities that is the United States causes all those who always saw him from afar now have him very close and with the chance to enjoy it live and direct.
It happened Sunday night in Carson, about a 40-minute drive from Los Angeles, when Inter Miami visited the Galaxy for a new date of the sought-after Major League Soccer. The Californian city is the ideal place for a large number of celebrities to make time in their busy schedules to see a bit of the magic of Rosario. That is why it was not surprising that in the stands of the Dignity Health Sports Park stadium – which because of La Pulga had a record capacity with 27,642 spectators -, the popular Hollywood actors Halle Berry, Hillary Duff and Edward Norton showed up. Also, very close by, was the rapper Lil Wayne, author of A Milli and Hustler Musik, among other hits.
And the VIP guest list didn’t end there. Because the athletes did not want to miss the presence of the best in the history of football either. There was another GOAT like the Serbian Novak Djokovic, number 1 in world tennis, who had already gone to see the Argentine when he was in New York. The top Grand Slam winner, with 24 conquests, watched the match along with his son Stefan and his compatriot and NBA legend Vlade Divac. Nole arrived in the United States a few days ago on the same plane as Rafael Nadal and is preparing to play in Indian Wells, the first Masters 1000 of the season.
Also seen there were the star wide receiver of the Los Angeles Rams, Puka Nacua, the soccer player Christen Press, of the Angel City FC of the NWSL and the United States National Team, and the basketball players Candace Parker and Diana Taurasi – the latter of Argentine ancestry. Everyone took advantage of the proximity of their homes or the chance of being there to witness Leo’s show. And they did not leave disappointed.
Although the game was uphill for the team led by Gerardo Martino, Messi paid for the entry with the goal that allowed Inter Miami to save the undefeated in a movie play. He went in the 92nd minute and after a double wall combination with Jordi Alba, the Spanish full-back made in Barcelona, with whom he maintains a stainless partnership. This made it 1-1 against the Los Angeles Galaxy, who had gone ahead with a shout from Serbian Dejan Joveljic and ended up complicated by Marco Delgado’s expulsion for a double yellow card three minutes from time.
Ojo: Messi was not the only hero in the vicinity of Hollywood. The goalkeeper Drake Callender was once again a figure. As during 2023 he was vital for consecration in the Leagues Cup, on the late night in Los Angeles he deactivated several dangerous opportunities, including a penalty taken by Riqui Puig at 13 minutes.
The Garzas, who are scheduled to play against Orlando City on Saturday at 6:30 p.m., now back at the Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, still do not have Luis Suárez in full form. The Uruguayan Pistolero was replaced in the second half and suffered like no one else from his team’s poor performance.
However, Messi fixes everything. The architecturally constructed 1-1 cry with Alba marked another milestone in his career. He has scored at least one goal for 20 consecutive seasons. The series began in 2005 and is an example of its validity. In addition, he was two goals away from 500 goals in league games – including 474 for Spain, 22 for France and 2 for the United States.
The average is astonishing: 0.85 celebrations per presentation. And in that path of making records when walking, John McCarthy became goalkeeper No. 246 to be a victim of Messi, while the Galaxy, the top winner in United States soccer, is the 144th team to suffer from it. It was also La Pulga’s first goal in the new season of an MLS that promises more unforgettable nights for the last magician of world soccer.
2024-02-26 23:41:10
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