Lionel Messi always draw a crowd — and he brings in a crowd, too.
He also helped lead his new interim head coach, Guillermo Hoyos, to his first win with Inter Miami on Saturday.
In front of a crowd of 75,824 in Commerce, Colo., Messi scored two goals, including a stunning 79th-minute winner, to propel Inter Miami to a 3-2 victory over the Colorado Rapids at Empower Field at Mile High. Mexico striker Germán Berteram also scored for Inter Miami.
The crowd was the second-highest attendance in MLS history.
It was Miami’s first game since Javier Mascherano stepped down as coach Tuesday, just four months after guiding the club to its first MLS Cup title.
It likely was an extra-special game for Messi who has a long history with his new interim coach. Hoyos, who worked at Barcelona’s renowned La Masia academy for more than 20 years, previously was Inter Miami’s sporting director before he was given the interim head-coaching job.
“It has been a beautiful experience because there are players of immense quality here including the greatest player in history,” Hoyos said in a news conference after the victory.
“I was excited on many occasions, because football truly is all about that emotion and passion.”
Messi opened the scoring when he converted a penalty kick in the 13th minute, before his late go-ahead goal, which was a thing of beaty.
After a Colorado turnover near midfield, Messi cut back near the right corner of the penalty box and struck a rising shot that split a pair of defenders and slipped inside the back post.
Messi has seven goals this season, tied with Sam Surridge and Petar Musa for most in MLS.
Miami (4-1-3) hasn’t lost since a season-opening 3-0 defeat to Los Angeles FC. The Rapids (4-4-0) had won back-to-back games and three of their last four.
— with AP
