Lionel Messi makes soccer look like a child’s play. The Argentinian superstar never fails to leave spectators in awe with his effortless brilliance and mesmerizing knacks. Even yesterday, La Pulga took center stage during Inter Miami’s MLS season opener against Real Salt Lake, performing an out-of-the-ordinary skill. While it continues to make him the talk of the town, French icon Frank Leboeuf insists he ‘found it very funny.’
A 44th-minute goalkeeping error saw Messi get hold of the ball in the opposition area. After dribbling past a player with a feint, ahead of him was an injured player lying down on the ground. However, the skipper did the unthinkable by chipping the ball over the injured player and attempting a powerful shot. This incident became a topic of discussion on the ESPN FC Extra Time show, leading Leboeuf to say, “I never experienced that. I found it very funny, at the same time very well organized and played.” The 1998 World Cup winner humorously explained the opposition player’s POV.
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While insisting that he enjoyed watching the skill, Leboeuf said, “You cannot avoid the player, why don’t you chip it above it? And it’s funny because when the injured player will see that, he would say, ‘Did it really happen?’ Did he do that to me while I was injured?’ That was very nice. I loved it.” Interestingly, Dan Thomas asked Frank if he would have gotten up and tried to kick him in a similar situation. Jokingly, the pundit replied, “Oh yeah, I would step on him. Of course, I would chip the ball and step on him and carry on, don’t go for nothing.” Notably, it was a good day at the office for Miami, who won the game. However, Tata Martino wasn’t impressed at all!
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Tata Martino wasn’t impressed with the 2-0 win of Lionel Messi and Co. against Real Salt Lake
During the press conference, Tata Martino showed doubt about the victory. Although he was praising his team’s first-half performance, he made a bold claim, stating, “We should’ve scored one more goal.” Additionally, he dismissed the idea of Inter Miami being seen as favorites to win the MLS Cup.
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Martino cautioned the media against drawing premature conclusions from the team’s early victory, emphasizing the need for further improvements and continued efforts. It’s evident that Martino aims to avoid overconfidence at this stage. Nevertheless, it’s encouraging to see this mindset from Inter Miami, and hopefully, they will uphold it in the future.
Also, coming back, if Messi continues to put on such a show as he did yesterday, then there’s no stopping them from becoming champions.