Lionel Messi helped set up both goals and Inter Miami withstood sustained second-half pressure from Real Salt Lake to claim a 2-0 victory in their Major League Soccer season opener on Wednesday in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Robert Taylor scored late in the first half and Diego Gomez added another goal in the second half for Miami, which was dominant before the break but was outnumbered after the break and was probably lucky to still be in the lead lying when Gomez added more.
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Luis Suarez had the first assist on Gomez's insurance list in his MLS debut after becoming the third of Messi's former Barcelona teammates to join him in Miami's squad this offseason.
Messi had a wonderful late chance to score his first goal of 2024 in the 89th minute, but was denied by goalkeeper Zac MacMath, who ended up making six saves. However, MacMath should have done better against Taylor's opener.
Salt Lake finished the game with just two shots on goal – both from defenseman Brayan Vera – but that was more a matter of composure than chance.
The visitors dominated possession in the second half against a Miami team that values it as much as any other MLS team, but RSL often wasted the ball in promising positions.
Real Salt Lake showed how much respect they had for Messi with an early free kick by positioning defenders near both goal line posts. The move paid off as Justen Glad headed Messi's attempt out of the danger zone.
Then, in the 23rd minute, MacMath responded well with a save to the right to keep out Gomez's low shot from the edge of the box.
The opening goal came in the 39th minute. Messi played the final pass, a through ball that Taylor ran at on the right side of the penalty area and immediately struck with his right foot. MacMath dived to the right again, but either misjudged or misplayed the relatively tame attempt as it squeezed under the goalkeeper and dripped over the line.
The decisive goal came in the 83rd minute on a Miami counterattack when Messi pushed the ball left to Suarez, who then played a quick cross for Gomez to slot it cleanly past MacMath.
Information from Field Level Media was used in this story.