Soccer god Lionel Messi (39·Inter Miami) was silent in the first-ever showdown against Son Heung-min (34·LAFC).
Inter Miami, led by Messi, suffered a 0-3 defeat to LAFC in the MLS season opener on the 22nd (Korean time) at the LA Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, U.S. That day 75,673 spectators filled the stands, setting the record for the club's largest home crowd, but it was a nightmarish night for Messi.
The showdown between the two superstars who shared their primes in Europe was the third overall. In the 2018-19 UEFA Champions League group stage, Messi beat Son Heung-min with 2 goals in 2 matches. Son registered one assist. But this time the flow of the match was different.
Messi shone intermittently during the match, but he could not break through LAFC's pace and pressing. LAFC coach Marko Dussan[t] changed the formation from a 4-2-3-1 in the first half to a 4-3-3 in the second half to protect the midfield and seek space transitions, and the quick penetrations by Son Heung-min, Buanga and Martínez continuously troubled Miami's defense and decided the game.
As a result, even though Messi dominated the match with 68.4% possession, the real threat came more from LAFC. In expected goals (xG), LAFC had 3.5 while Miami had 0.9, showing a clear gap. With this loss, the overall head-to-head record between Messi and Son Heung-min is balanced at 1 win, 1 draw and 1 loss.
It was the largest crowd in MLS history and a symbolic matchup of "Messi vs. Son Heung-min." The winner was Son Heung-min. The joy of victory did not go to Messi.
For an older Messi, overcoming pace and pressing is a challenge. Messi must get past LAFC and Son Heung-min, who have emerged as the biggest rivals for the title.
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