Lionel Messi on Wednesday helped set up both goals as Inter Miami survived extended second-half pressure from Real Salt Lake to earn a 2-0 victory in Major League Soccer’s season opener in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Robert Taylor scored late in the first half and Diego Gomez scored late in the second for Miami, who were dominant before the break, but inferior after it and probably fortunate to still be in the lead when Luis Suarez had the primary assist on Gomez’s insurance tally.
Messi had a wonderful chance to score his first goal of this year in the 89th minute, but was denied by goalkeeper Zac MacMath, who finished with six saves.
Photo: AFP
However, MacMath should have done better against Taylor’s opener.
Salt Lake finished with only two shots on target — both from defender Brayan Vera — but that was a matter of composure more than opportunity.
The visitors controlled possession in the second half, but often wasted opportunities.
The opening goal came in the 39th minute. Messi played the final pass, a through-ball that Taylor ran onto in the right side of the penalty area and immediately struck with his right foot. MacMath dove to his right again, but either misjudged or misplayed the relatively tame attempt, as it squeezed under the goalkeeper’s armpit and trickled across the line.
The insurance goal came in the 83rd minute on one of the Herons’ few forays forward.
Messi slid the ball left to Suarez, who then played a quick cross for Gomez to neatly dispatch past MacMath.
Off the field, MLS commissioner Don Garber has hit out at referee union members after talks broke down leaving the league to start the new season without its top referees.
Garber, speaking to reporters prior to the opening game, warned that MLS was “very prepared” to deal with the lockout of the officials.
The Professional Soccer Referees’ Association on Saturday said that 95.8 percent of their voting members had rejected a tentative deal they had reached with the MLS’ Professional Referees’ Organization.
“I can’t remember in my near 40 years of sports of having a bargaining unit reach agreement and not have their members support it,” Garber told reporters, adding that more than 20 bargaining sessions had been held before the deal was reached between negotiators. “Very disappointing process. In my opinion, it was one that either was intentional or there’s a disconnect between the members and their elected negotiators.”
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