Lionel Messi assisted a first half goal by Robert Taylor and Inter Miami weathered a second half storm from Real Salt Lake to emerge with a 2-0 victory in the first match of the 2024 Major League Soccer season.
Inter Miami dominated the first half in Fort Lauderdale and finally broke through in the 39th minute when the defence collapsed around the Argentinean great just outside of the box.
Messi split the defenders and found a sprinting Taylor, whose low shot initially looked like it had been saved by Zac MacMath before it spun out of his arms and into the net.
After the break, Salt Lake, who had looked tentative in the first half, came out energised against the older Miami side, which spent their busy MLS off-season playing matches in Asia and the Middle East.
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Inter Miami survived the second half onslaught with help from some clutch saves by Drake Steven Callender and sealed the win when Messi set up a sequence that saw former Barcelona teammate Luis Suarez assist youngster Diego Gomez in the 83rd minute.
The game at the newly named Chase Stadium was the opening match of the 29th MLS season.
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