Lionel Messi felt like a goal was unfairly taken away from him in the first half of Inter Miami`s game against LAFC in the Concacaf Champions Cup. But he didn`t let it get him down. Shortly after a free kick goal was disallowed by the referee, the Argentinian superstar scored an absolutely amazing goal against goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. This was the same goalkeeper Messi scored twice against in the 2022 World Cup final.
In the first half, Messi took a free kick. As Lloris was setting up his defensive wall, the referee moved away from the area. Messi then curled the ball into the goal. Lloris wasn`t ready, but Messi took the shot. The referee initially signaled a goal but then changed his mind a minute later. He made Messi retake the free kick, which then hit the wall.
This decision was definitely debatable. You could see it from both perspectives. Messi might have thought he was allowed to play because the ref walked away, and the ref initially gave the goal. On the other hand, Lloris was still setting up and seemed to be waiting for a whistle.
With Inter Miami losing 1-0 in this game and 2-0 overall, Messi`s incredible goal came at a crucial moment. It brought his team right back into the competition, making the score 1-1.
The first half ended with a fair score of 1-1. Inter Miami showed a strong attack with 12 shots in the first half, but they will need to keep up the pressure to win the match.
Adrian Whitmore