If you just look at the score, many people will think that this is an attractive match. However, do not let this fool you by the fact that the competition on the DRV PNK field was boring and sluggish with a professional quality that was almost zero.
Inter Miami controlled the ball better than Charlotte (62% vs 38%), and in the 12th minute, they opened the scoring on 11 meters thanks to striker Josef Martinez. Captain Messi had the right to take the penalty, but he gave it to Martinez.
In the period after that, the match took place at the speed of a… training session. The two teams mainly walked with consecutive failed passes. In the 32nd minute, Robert Taylor decisively finished in the penalty area after a teammate’s pass doubled the difference. A goal came quite unexpectedly in the context of a tasteless match.
In the second half, the situation was still no different from the first half. Inter Miami with the advantage of 2 goals was not too keen in attacking, and Charlotte did not even bother to protest.
The boring game lasted until the 78th minute, when Inter Miami got the third goal after the home goal of defender Adilson Malanda. By the 87th minute, what the fans were waiting for the most, Messi’s goal had also arrived. The Argentine superstar cushioned the ball close to the wall to set a 4-0 victory for Inter Miami.
This is the 5th game in a row Messi has scored, and also his 8th goal for Inter Miami since joining the club. Victory over Charlotte helps Inter Miami win tickets to the semi-finals of the 2023 Leagues Cup. Their opponent will be the winner of the quarter-finals between Philadelphia Union vs Queretaro.