It was a historic match. For Lionel Messi and for Newell’s. Fort Lauderdale’s friendly against InterMiami It was the first time since turning professional that La Pulga faced Lepra, the club where he began his journey to the altar of football. And such an event left a couple of facts to highlight and immortalize.
The first occurred in the previous round and did not have Messi as a direct protagonist. A simple Instagram story sparked a revolution among Newell fans, those who did not have the privilege of traveling to the United States, taking a seat at the PNK DVR Stadium and watching the duel live.
Era Carolina ‘Pampita’ Ardohain who, in the midst of his vacation in the city in the state of Florida, took some time to enjoy some football with two of his children. But the real ‘out of context’ came when the model was photographed wearing the Newell’s shirt, being a well-known Boca fan. Their sons were divided: one used the Leprosy one and the other, the Inter Miami one.
Another important moment occurred at half-time, perhaps to avoid crowds and take advantage of the 0-0. When Inter Miami returned from the changing rooms, Maximiliano Rodríguez was waiting for him with two red and black shirts. His goals? Lionel Messi and Gerardo Tata Martino.
A #%€%& parrot club ???? pic.twitter.com/fHYaTQrWW4
— Newell’s Old Boys (@Newells) February 16, 2024
A 100% leprous photo. between three of the greatest exponents in the history of the Rosario team and who have been ambassadors of the colors in the world with the paths taken in their respective professional careers.
The last pearls arrived after the match. It wasn’t the only joke that almost all of Newell’s team made to have their picture taken with the Argentine star, which he accepted without problems and with a smile. But shortly before, when the referee had just blown the whistle for the end of the match.
Everyone forward @Newells I wanted a photo with Messi. pic.twitter.com/8EQDhZuIGO
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) February 16, 2024
Franco Diazthe scorer of Newell’s goal, collided with the world champion and couldn’t resist kissing him on the head, hugging him and continuing to walk, perhaps trying to absorb some of his magic.
There were several t-shirts with Messi’s number distributed in the locker room. The one he used in the match did not let go during all those protocol events that occurred after the match. Augustus Schott showed he got one with the signing bonus, but the smile the guy showed Misael Jaimewho had been walking with Díaz near the Flea shortly before, pointed out that perhaps it was the “original”.
Messi’s post and what Tata Martino said
It was the first time that Messi, facing an Argentine team, did not win. He had achieved it against Estudiantes de La Plata, River and Boca in his three previous matches. That special situation was reflected by the 36-year-old forward himself in a post on his Instagram account. “A special match”he wrote.
See this post on InstagramA publication shared by Leo Messi (@leomessi)
The meeting served, among many other reasons, to fully see Lionel Messi again, after the muscular discomfort that caused concern (and controversy) during the pink team’s Asian tour.
“I see him completely recovered. Yes, we’ll take him little by little. In Tokyo he did 30 minutes, tonight he did almost 60. The idea is that he arrives well, prepared, for the 21st. From what we saw today live field and the way he accelerated, joined forces and got to the zone.”Tata Martino explained this at the press conference.
Inter Miami, in the last match of a pre-season in which they won only one friendly match (against a team from the Hong Kong First Division), closed their preparations with a draw against Leprosy. Shanyder Borgelin put the premises up for sale, but Franco Díaz left everything the same for visitors.
“It was a match, for many of us who have a very strong bond with Newell’s, special and beautiful, a friendly match to experience and we had fun (…). The truth is that it was a beautiful evening”assured the DT.
Source: Clarin
Jason Root is the go-to source for sports coverage at News Rebeat. With a passion for athletics and an in-depth knowledge of the latest sports trends, Jason provides comprehensive and engaging analysis of the world of sports.