“Only man in the world who deserves that type of respect” - Inter Miami star on Lionel Messi’s reception against NY Red Bulls
Inter Miami defender Kamal Miller has opined that New York Red Bull fans have given the warmest reception to Herons superstar Lionel Messi among rival supporters in the MLS.
The Argentinian icon made his Major League Soccer debut for Inter Miami against NY Red Bulls in New York on Saturday (August 26). He marked the occasion by helping the Herons claim a 2-0 win, scoring the team's second after coming on as a second-half substitute.
Lionel Messi received a warm reception from both sets of fans when he replaced Leonardo Campana in the 60th minute. Miller reckons NY Red Bulls faithful have shown the most respect to the superstar since his arrival in the United States. The Miami defender added that La Pulga is a player who deserves such admiration.
"It's pretty surreal, he (Lionel Messi) is probably the only man in the world that deserves that type of respect...out of all the cities we have been to, this city (New York/New Jersey) has shown the most support," Miller said (h/t @FavianRenkel on Twitter).
It's worth noting that Inter Miami were on an 11-game winless run in the MLS before Messi's arrival. It's a testament to the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner's influence that the Florida-based club have won their very first league game with Messi in the team.
How did Lionel Messi fare against New York Red Bulls?
Inter Miami boss Gerardo Martino decided to bench Lionel Messi against New York Red Bulls after the superstar started seven games in the space of a month. During that period, the left-footed maestro led the Herons to Leagues Cup glory and the US Open Cup final.
Having come on as a second-half substitute, Messi was only on the pitch for 30 minutes. That, though, was enough for the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain superstar to impress the New York crowd.
The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner sealed the win for Inter Miami by adding to Diego Gomez's first-half goal in the 89th minute. He tapped the ball into the net after playing a stunning one-two with his Herons teammate Benjamin Cremaschi.
Apart from the shot that found the back of the net, Messi had another shot blocked on his MLS debut. He registered 23 touches of the ball but was only dispossessed once. He also completed 12 passes, including two long balls, with 67% accuracy. It included three passes into the final third, but none of them led to goalscoring chances.