Lionel Messi and Inter Miami FC will look to continue their push for the Supporters’ Shield as they take on New York City FC at Yankee Stadium on Saturday. The match comes at a crucial time for NYCFC, who are struggling to find form.
Messi, who recently returned from injury, had a quieter outing in his second game back. After scoring twice and providing an assist in Miami’s 3-1 win over the Philadelphia Union last Saturday, the Argentine superstar could not prevent his team from conceding a late equalizer in a 2-2 draw against Atlanta United on Wednesday. This season, Messi has been in stellar form, tallying 14 goals and 14 assists, while his strike partner Luis Suarez has contributed 17 goals and six assists.
Both Messi and Suarez came off the bench as substitutes in the midweek match. Suarez netted Inter Miami’s only goal in a previous 1-1 draw against NYCFC back in March. David Ruiz opened the scoring with his first goal of the season against Atlanta, and Leo Campana added his 30th career goal across all competitions, extending his record as Miami’s all-time leading scorer. The Herons currently sit atop the league standings with 63 points (19-4-6), holding an eight-point lead over FC Cincinnati and LA Galaxy in the race for the most points in MLS.
Miami’s head coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino and midfielder Sergio Busquets were suspended for the Atlanta match due to yellow card accumulations. Assistant coach Javier Morales commended the younger players for stepping up, stating, “It’s not easy to come in and perform without much game time, but they did well.”
NYCFC, meanwhile, continue their disappointing run, now winless in their last eight matches (0-3-5) following a heavy 5-1 loss to the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday. Despite the slump, coach Nick Cushing remains optimistic. “I’m not worried about the postseason because I’ve seen enough from our performances this season to believe we can turn things around,” Cushing said.
Alonso Martinez scored the lone goal for NYCFC in their recent defeat and was also on the scoresheet the last time the team faced Miami. NYCFC (11-11-7, 40 points) will be desperate for a turnaround as they look to break their winless streak against the league leaders.
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