The defeat against Philadelphia Union on Wednesday was unexpected. Having playoffs on the line means you can’t risk negative results in the final stretch of the season. But it was enough to set the tone for the match against Inter Miami CF .
The fixture was not only going to be the team’s last home game this regular season but also signaled the first time a legend of the game played in New York City . It was now up to the Boys in Blue to turn the page from the defeat or allow Inter Miami to take over Yankee Stadium. History made in the Bronx It was the game of the season, no matter what angle you took.
From marketing to attendance and even game day experience, it was all influenced by one man. The greatest of all time or the second best to ever play the game, depending on who you ask. One way or another, he was in town, and nobody wanted to miss out on the occasion.
The first surprise of the evening came during the pre-match celebrations. Inter Miami would give their dynamic duo a chance to start. This was a surprise since Messi was just coming back from an injury, and so many expected to see him for a limited number of minutes.
This was set to be only his 3rd game back, but given that he had scored 2 goals in nearly 10 minutes in his return against Philadelphia, things were not looking good. Keep in mind that New York City FC was coming from a 5-1 defeat, so putting two and two together, many, including myself, feared the worst, knowing Messi would start. On the plus sid.
