Messi the Creator as Miami Win In MLS Opener

Inter Miami's Argentine forward Lionel Messi controls the ball during the club's MLS season-opening victory over Real Salt Lake - AFP
Inter Miami's Argentine forward Lionel Messi controls the ball during the club's MLS season-opening victory over Real Salt Lake - AFP
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Messi the Creator as Miami Win In MLS Opener

Inter Miami's Argentine forward Lionel Messi controls the ball during the club's MLS season-opening victory over Real Salt Lake - AFP
Inter Miami's Argentine forward Lionel Messi controls the ball during the club's MLS season-opening victory over Real Salt Lake - AFP

Lionel Messi created both goals as Inter Miami made a winning start to the new Major League Soccer season with a 2-0 victory over Real Salt Lake on Wednesday.

The Argentine World Cup winner, who played the entire game, put aside any concerns about his early season fitness with an excellent performance for the bookmakers' title favorites.

"He looked loose, fine and showed a lot of speed," coach Gerardo Martino said of Messi, who missed the back end of last season for Miami with injuries and was also sidelined for part of the pre-season.

The other three members of Miami's former Barcelona quartet, debutant Luis Suarez, midfielder Sergio Busquets and left-back Jordi Alba, all started in front of a capacity crowd.

Against a cautious Salt Lake side, Messi went close to opening the scoring in the 18th minute with a curling free-kick from 30 yards out which was headed off the line by Justen Glad.

He then brought huge cheers from the crowd when, on the edge of the box, his route was blocked by a player down on the floor, but he chipped the ball over him and let loose a shot which was blocked.

But Miami got in front when Spaniard Sergio Busquets found Messi and the eight-times Ballon d'Or winner cleverly slipped the ball through to Finnish forward Robert Taylor, whose low shot beat RSL keeper Zac MacMath.

The goalkeeper should have kept the effort out but it was a goal which forced the visitors to open up after the interval and their more aggressive approach caused Inter some problems.

Cristian Arango blasted a half-chance high over the bar for Salt Lake and then, after Busquets sloppily gave the ball away, Andres Gomez burst goalwards but the Colombian winger fired wide, AFP reported.

The Utah side should have made more of the space they found as Miami struggled in the early stages of the second half but paid the price for a lack of precision.

Sensing his team needed another goal or two to make sure of the points, Messi upped his work-rate and began to take control of the game.

Dropping deeper to collect the ball, he launched several attacks with his own swift bursts forward allied with his trademark close control.

The 36-year-old weaved down the inside left channel to find space for a cross to the back post to Julian Gressel but the German put his effort wide from the tight angle.

Then Messi burst again from deep and found Suarez who picked out Diego Gomez and the Paraguayan midfielder buried his shot low into the far corner to make it 2-0.

That trio almost combined again for a third with Messi slipping to Gomez who then served Suarez but the Uruguayan's effort was saved by the outstretched leg of MacMath.

Martino was delighted to see two of the lesser heralded members of his cast on target.

"This is what should happen with a team. Normally Luis and Leo would be the ones most associated with the goal, but the fact that Robert and Diego have converted and (Messi and Suarez) have been the assistants is always a positive thing," he said.

The former Argentina, Mexico and Barcelona coach said he was sure that Messi and Suarez would be able to recapture some of the magic they had shown during their seasons at the Camp Nou.

"They know each other so well but we have to find that partnership that worked already in Barcelona," he said.

For Taylor, who enjoyed a rich spell of form immediately after Messi joined the club and was a key part of the team which won the Leagues Cup, it was a positive opening to the campaign.

"It's the start we wanted, I mean, there's still some things that we need to work on. Obviously, it's the first game of the season, but the positive thing is the three points and we'll build on this," he said.

Inter Miami return to action on Sunday at Los Angeles Galaxy.



Norris Edges Piastri for Pole as McLaren Lock Out Melbourne Front Row

15 March 2025, Australia, Melbourne: British Formula One driver Lando Norris of team McLaren races during the Qualifying session of the Formula One Australian Grand Prix at the Albert Park Circuit. Photo: Joel Carrett/AAP/dpa
15 March 2025, Australia, Melbourne: British Formula One driver Lando Norris of team McLaren races during the Qualifying session of the Formula One Australian Grand Prix at the Albert Park Circuit. Photo: Joel Carrett/AAP/dpa
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Norris Edges Piastri for Pole as McLaren Lock Out Melbourne Front Row

15 March 2025, Australia, Melbourne: British Formula One driver Lando Norris of team McLaren races during the Qualifying session of the Formula One Australian Grand Prix at the Albert Park Circuit. Photo: Joel Carrett/AAP/dpa
15 March 2025, Australia, Melbourne: British Formula One driver Lando Norris of team McLaren races during the Qualifying session of the Formula One Australian Grand Prix at the Albert Park Circuit. Photo: Joel Carrett/AAP/dpa

Lando Norris clinched pole position on Saturday for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri as McLaren fired a warning shot to their rivals.

In scorching hot conditions at Melbourne's Albert Park, world champion Max Verstappen came third in tense qualifying.

Mercedes' George Russell will keep Red Bull's four-time world champion company on the second row. Lewis Hamilton will start in eighth on his Ferrari debut.

"It's the perfect way to start the year. A big congrats to the team, everyone has done an amazing job to start with a one-two," said Norris after his 10th career pole, according to AFP.

"But it is just quali, right? Let's see tomorrow," he added.

"The car is extremely quick. When you put it together it is unbelievable, but it is hard to put it together.

"I'm never going to get ahead of myself, I'm confident the car is in a good place but we have never run it in the wet."

The forecast for Sunday's race is cooler temperatures and rain.

Norris eclipsed his rivals with a flying lap of one minute 15.096 seconds on soft tyres, 0.084sec ahead of Piastri.

"Pretty happy, great to start the year on the front row," said Piastri.

"Pretty happy with how qualifying went but just not quite enough in Q3, but it is a long season so a good start," added the Australian.

"Maybe left a little bit on the table."

No Australian driver has won their home race since Alan Jones in 1980, but that was a non-championship race before Australia was added to the F1 calendar in 1985.

Verstappen, who was the pole-sitter in 2023 and 2024, was three-tenths behind Norris.

But his rookie teammate Liam Lawson, who replaced the underperforming Sergio Perez, failed to get out of Q1.

- 'Quali laps are exciting' -

Mercedes' teenager Kimi Antonelli was another big Q1 casualty after gravel damaged the floor of his car.

"It was good, yesterday was quite tough so for us to be P3 today, I'd take that," said Verstappen.

"Quali laps are exciting, good grip around here and some fast corners."

Verstappen is chasing a second win in Australia after his 2023 victory to kickstart his bid for a fifth consecutive world title, a feat only Michael Schumacher has achieved.

RB's Yuki Tsunoda will start a surprise fifth alongside the Williams of Alex Albon.

Ferrari pair Charles Leclerc and Hamilton were a disappointing seventh and eighth with Alpine's Pierre Gasly and Carlos Sainz in the other Williams filling out the top 10.

Last year in Melbourne it was a Ferrari one-two with Sainz holding off teammate Leclerc for the win, ahead of Norris.

"It isn't quite where we wanted to be but overall I'm satisfied with the progress we have made over the past two days," said Hamilton.

"We didn't expect to be eight or nine tenths behind pole but given this is a weekend of firsts for me, I didn't underestimate how steep the learning curve would be."

Fernando Alonso and his Aston Martin teammate Lance Stroll have struggled for pace all weekend and failed to get through Q2 alongside Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto, RB's Isack Hadjar and Alpine's Jack Doohan.

Haas's Ollie Bearman failed to set a time in Q1 and was eliminated with teammate Esteban Ocon, Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg, Lawson and Antonelli.

Briton's Bearman has endured a horror weekend, smashing into the barriers in first practice on Friday and unable to take part in the second session.

He skidded into the gravel Saturday on his first lap in third practice, before reporting his gearbox was "broken" without completing a lap in qualifying.