Although captain striker Lionel Messi did not score or assist, Inter Miami still came back to win 3-2 against Montreal in round 13 of the MLS, continuing to lead the rankings.

This marked the first time the captain of the pink shirt club came to Canada to compete and he was warmly welcomed by Montreal fans. However, Inter Miami had a difficult away trip to Montreal Impact’s field, allowing the home team to take a two-goal lead within just 10 minutes.

In the 22nd minute, taking advantage of Inter Miami player’s passing error, Montreal organized a sharp counter-attack and the striker wearing the number 10 Duke shirt had a shot past goalkeeper Callender, opening the score 1-0 for the home team. In the 32nd minute, continuing the counterattack from the left wing, Vilsaint received the ball in a favorable position and curled it past Callender to double the gap.

Receiving two buckets of cold water made Miami’s game somewhat difficult. However, they quickly equalized before the first half ended. In the 44th minute, Matias Rojas scored a super goal when he netted a free kick. Just 4 minutes later, from a corner kick, Luis Suarez had a kick from close range, equalizing the score at 2-2. This goal helped Suarez rise to the top of the top scorer list with 11 goals, equal with Christian Benteke. Right behind him is captain striker Messi with 10 goals and 9 assists.

Messi was silent, but Luis Suarez still scored for Miami.

Inter Miami ended the match with a final goal in the 59th minute. Starting from Messi’s dribble in the middle of the field, he passed to Rojas and the striker quickly flicked the outside of his cheek for Cremaschi to run down to face the home team’s goalkeeper. The midfielder wearing shirt number 30 neatly escaped the defender’s clutches before sending the ball into the net to set the score 3-2.

During Rojas’ goal for Miami, Messi was not on the field. The Argentine striker was fouled by his opponent in the situation that led to Rojas’s direct free kick and needed care from the medical team on the field.

According to MLS rules, a player who is in pain and being treated by the medical team must stay off the field for two minutes before returning to play, and this angered Messi when he complained about having to wait.

Messi had a good performance against Montreal. Photo: GETTY

However, Messi also had a not bad match when he left an impression with 7 successful dribbles and was very physically fit compared to the beginning of the season. This is also good news for the Argentine team as Copa America 2024 is approaching and their captain is in the best condition.

With a 3-2 victory over Montreal, Inter Miami continues to hold the top of the MLS 2024 table with 27 points. They will continue to have a trip to Orlando City on May 16.