In a turn of events that might have Miami fans biting their nails, Inter Miami's star player Lionel Messi suffered an apparent hamstring injury in the initial minutes of their Leagues Cup match against Necaxa. As reported by Sun Sentinel, the incident occurred in the eighth-minute mark as Messi, caught between two defenders, hit the turf hard and showed clear signs of frustration. The situation intensified as he seated himself near the team's bench, where he received some medical attention before being substituted.
Despite the setback, and, the fact that Miami continued a man down for the remainder of the regulation time, the team showed resilience. In dramatic fashion, Jordi Alba's header during stoppage time squared things up at 2-2, sending the teams into a penalty shootout, as detailed by CBS News Miami. Inter Miami shone in the shootout with Luis Suárez clinching the win with a top-left corner shot.
Earlier in the match, after Messi's premature exit, Inter Miami's newest addition, Rodrigo De Paul, provided two key assists, one which led to Telasco Segovia's goal, putting Miami ahead briefly. Rocco Ríos Novo, Inter Miami's goalkeeper, played a pivotal role too, blocking a third-round shot by Necaxa's Tomás Badaloni during the shootout.
The extent of Messi's injury remains unclear. Though he has a history of hamstring issues, a thorough examination and potentially an MRI, which is usual for soft-tissue injuries, will ascertain his condition. With Miami's hopes in the Leagues Cup hanging in the balance, Messi's potential absence could influence their ability to secure enough goals to better their current ninth-placed standing among MLS clubs, "only the top four clubs in MLS and the top four in Liga MX will reach the knockouts," reported the Sun Sentinel.
