[ad_1]
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami are one match away from a championship together.
Messi’s Inter Miami will play in the Leagues Cup final tonight against Nashville SC at GEODIS Park in Nashville, Tennessee.
Inter Miami and Nashville – both MLS expansion teams in 2020 – will compete for the first title in their short franchise histories.
But the stakes feel significantly higher because of the worldwide attention Messi has brought to the MLS and Leagues Cup tournament since his arrival.
Messi will play in his seventh game with Inter Miami.
WORLD CUP CENTRAL: 2023 Women’s World Cup Live Scores, Schedules, Standings, Bracket and More
He has been nothing short of impressive in his first six matches – scoring nine goals, including a game-winning goal in his July 21 debut, and a game-tying goal that forced penalty kicks against FC Dallas on Aug. 6.
Will Messi Mania continue tonight?
How to watch: Messi, Inter Miami in Leagues Cup final
The Leagues Cup final between Inter Miami and Nashville SC kicks off at 9 p.m., and can be streamed live via the MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
The game will not be broadcast on cable TV.
Inside Inter Miami’s transformation with Messi
Along with Messi, Inter Miami signed Messi’s former FC Barcelona teammates in Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets. They signed Paraguayan international Diego Gómez. They added 20-year-old Argentine midfielder Facundo Farías and 19-year-old Argentine defender Tomás Avilés.
And with the influx of talent, Inter Miami hired Messi’s longtime coach Tata Martino, who coached him with Barcelona and Argentina.
The new additions have elevated Inter Miami’s play naturally.
“We are inspired, motivated and confident. But we are focused on doing everything the team needs to get better,” Martino said after the victory over Philadelphia.
“We are not confused because we’re in the final now. No, we’re focused. We want to make Inter a very competitive team. Even though we’re in the final, we have a long way to go. If we didn’t have this result, we’d be complaining. But we haven’t done everything yet. No team can put together a solid team in 30 days or so.”
What’s at stake in Leagues Cup final?
Inter Miami and Nashville SC — as well as the winner of the third-place game between the Philadelphia Union and CF Monterrey — have earned automatic berths for 2024 into the Concacaf Champions Cup (formerly named the Concacaf Champions League).
However, the Leagues Cup winner will earn automatic qualification to the Round of 16 in the Concacaf Champions Cup.
Messi ‘enjoying the moment’ with Inter Miami
Messi held his first press conference earlier this week, nearly a month after joining Inter Miami.
While moving to South Florida has been an adjustment, Messi said he’s happy with the decision he made to join the MLS franchise co-owned by David Beckham.
“I’m happy enjoying this new stage, and I’m enjoying the experience of living here in this country,” Messi said.
Messi feels he was forced out of Barcelona to PSG
Messi, softspoken and introspective, said his Miami experience so far has been drastically different from previous stops in his illustrious career.
“I chose to come here. I wanted to come here. And it’s a decision we made with time. It wasn’t something we decided one day to the next. We are where we want to be. It’s a decision we made. That makes everything much easier and simpler,” Messi said.
“When I went to Paris, it wasn’t something I wanted. I didn’t want to leave Barcelona. In some ways, it was one day to the next. I had to adapt to somewhere completely different from where I lived all my life. But that’s totally different from my experience here.”
Will Messi play on turf in MLS?
Messi has played most of his historic career on natural grass, creating some discussion on whether he would play on synthetic turf in some MLS stadiums.
Messi appeared open to the possibility to playing on turf.
“All of my lower leagues, I’ve always played on turf,” Messi said. “That was a long time ago and it’s been a long time since I played on synthetic turf. But I have no problem adapting to turf again.”
What is Inter Miami’s remaining 2023 schedule?
- Aug. 19: at Nashville SC (Leagues Cup final), 9 p.m. ET
- TBD (originally scheduled for Aug. 20): vs. Charlotte FC, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Aug. 23: at FC Cincinnati (U.S. Open Cup semifinal), 7 p.m. ET
- Aug. 26: at New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Aug. 30: vs. Nashville SC, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Sept. 3: at Los Angeles FC, 10:30 p.m. ET
- Sept. 9: vs. Sporting Kansas City, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Sept. 16: at Atlanta United, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Sept. 20: vs. Toronto FC, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Sept. 24: at Orlando City SC, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Sept. 30: vs. New York City FC, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Oct. 4: at Chicago Fire FC, 8:30 p.m. ET
- Oct. 7: vs. FC Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Oct. 21: at Charlotte FC, 6 p.m. ET
With the exception of the U.S. Open Cup semifinal game on Aug. 23 (which will be available to stream on the CBS Sports Golazo Network), all other Inter Miami games are available to watch via the MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
[ad_2]
Source link
