WATCH: Lionel Messi denied goal by Philadelphia Union defender with incredible last-ditch block
Lionel Messi was on target yet again as the Argentine ace guided Inter Miami to a 4-1 win against Philadelphia Union in the Leagues Cup semifinal on Tuesday, August 15. However, he could have easily scored a brace had it not been for the heroics of Philadelphia center-back Jack Elliott.
Inter Miami sealed their place in the Leagues Cup final after a resounding 4-1 against Philadelphia at Subaru Park. Josef Martinez opened the scoring in the third minute. Lionel Messi doubled the Herons' lead with an accurate drive into the bottom-right corner from distance in the 20th minute. The 36-year-old upped his tally to nine goals and one assist in just six appearances.
Barcelona legend Jordi Alba made it 3-0 just before the interval after an excellent solo run to put Inter Miami in a formidable position.
In the 70th minute, Lionel Messi had a chance to make it 4-0 for the Herons. The Argentine superstar found a loose ball inside Philadelphia's box after Leonardo Campana's shot was blocked by the goalkeeper. The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner skilfully danced around two Philadelphia players before shooting on target.
However, Jack Elliott heroically stuck out his leg at full stretch denying Messi his brace. The ball subsequently went out for a corner.
Elliott's last-ditch block can be viewed below:
Alejandro Bedoya pulled one back for Philadelphia in the 73rd minute, but David Ruiz scored 11 minutes later to seal an important 4-1 win for Inter Miami.
Lionel Messi and Co. are set to face Nashville in the Leagues Cup final on Saturday, August 19, at Geodis Park.
Lionel Messi admits he didn't want to join Paris Saint-Germain
Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi recently admitted that he did not want to leave Barcelona to join Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) back in the summer of 2021.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup winner plied his trade for the Blaugrana for 17 years where he established himself as arguably the best footballer in history. Unfortunately, he was unable to receive a fairytale ending as he was forced out of the club prematurely due to Barcelona's financial woes.
Messi ended up joining PSG on a two-year deal, where he had mixed results. Despite scoring 32 goals and providing 35 assists in 75 total appearances, the 36-year-old was unable to find any success in the Champions League for the club. As a result, his tenure ended, with many PSG fans repeatedly booing him.
During a recent pre-match press conference, Lionel Messi said (via AFP):
“As I said at the time, my departure to Paris was not something I wanted, it was not something I wanted to leave Barcelona and, so to speak, it was from one day to the next."
He added:
“And, well, I also had to get used to a place that was totally different from where I had been living all my life, both in terms of the city and in a sporting sense, and, well, it was difficult, but the opposite of what is happening to me now here."
Messi joined Inter Miami as a free agent on July 15 and has already been warmly received by fans in the United States.