Inter Miami claimed its first Supporters' Shield in club history, topping Columbus Crew 3-2 in a see-sawing thriller that gave everyone a glimpse of Lionel Messi's extraordinary talent. This is Messi's second title with the club and adds to his record haul of 46 trophies. It simply was one of those matches that reflected the influence of Messi in Major League Soccer and his significance for Miami's journey, capturing the excitement of fans and players alike.
Indeed, Messi was quite spectacular, as he scored two important goals to seal the outcome of the match for Miami. For one, Messi scored at close range with a poacher's instinct; the second was a curling free kick without any chance to the goalkeeper; it's great to see the Argentine maestro come up with such magic that fans are accustomed to witnessing. Only for just when they thought to bridge this gap thanks to Diego Rossi in the 46th minute, Messi's old Barcelona mate Luis Suárez bailed out the lead for Miami and put them into a significant edge that Miami would not let go even with a late penalty by Cucho Hernández that revolved the game.
"I am happy. Happy for this group," Messi said while giving the post-match interview on Apple TV. His enthusiasm shines when talking about the season, citing that he believed the team had the potential from the very start. "I told you at the beginning of the year, we knew that this was a group to fight for this. We took charge from the beginning; we had the players to do this.". I am happy to have tackled the first objective and we are mulling this one, he added. Such claims deepen the perception that his confidence is not only in himself but also in other players, whom he thinks can get the job done for him to achieve the ambitions of the club.
It has now been more than three months since Messi has had a taste of action in any competitive match owing to injury and national team duties. His return to the pitch on September 15 has reinvigorated him and the team alike. Messi has scored an impressive 17 goals and provided 15 assists in just 17 games this season, and all this once more underscores why he is rated among the best of all time. He is a player who brings lots of that magic that changes games and lifts his teammates; this match was no exception.
By topping the regular season table, the club of David Beckham is assured of home-field advantage in the forthcoming MLS Cup Playoffs, which would represent one of the most important factors that could eventually make a difference in their championship quest. But if they want to get their name engraved further in history, Miami will need to win its last two remaining league matches to match the New England Revolution's MLS record of 73 points from the previous season. Hence, this win brings out much euphoria in the club and its fans, since greatness is lurking at a very close distance.
Inter Miami's co-owner and former England international David Beckham appreciated the win through social media. "Proud to see our players lift the Supporters' Shield after a great win in Columbus," Beckham posted on Instagram. His energy is contagious to the fans, as he openly commented that he was thrilled to bring the trophy to the "best fans in the league." With the Supporters' Shield under his belt, Beckham's words become the collective anticipation of fans and players in terms of the next challenge at hand.
With all the hysteria over this historic achievement by Inter Miami, what will be in the spotlight is Messi and his teammates as they face off to the playoffs. From here on, the road to the MLS Cup starts. But then, the recent performance of the team is a very good indication that these guys at Inter Miami aren't content with taking it that far. Who knows? Maybe all things seem possible with the marshaling of troops done by Messi.
