Orlando City head coach Oscar Pareja informed Lionel Messi and Inter Miami stating that “we will be ready” for the Leagues Cup match at the DRV PNK Stadium, Florida. on August 2.
Pareja’s team qualified for the Round of 32 stage after a 3-2 victory over Santos Laguna thanks to a late winner by Wilder Cartagena.
“We will be ready. It was in our mind in our preparation; no other words in the last week other than Santos. We know that you can [overlook] things and then start thinking ahead, what if?” Pareja sent a message to Messi and his team.
"But that was not in our equation, nothing but just beating Santos. But surely after the victory we have to face a team who has been playing well and obviously just to make sure – the Messi thing, right, it is the wave that is bringing a lot of attention and we're very proud.
"But we know what we are. We know who we are. And we're going to go get the victory because our heart is prepared to do it.”
Earlier on July 26, it did not take Messi long to leave his mark in American football as the Argentine scored two goals and gave one assist in his first start with Major League Soccer (MLS) club Inter Miami against Atlanta United in a Leagues Cup match.
Miami had just won once in their last ten matches and it all seemed like a dead-end for the MLS club but Messi’s arrival brought a change in fortunes for them as they thrashed Atlanta by four goals.
Messi, 36, gave his team an early breakthrough by scoring a goal in just the eighth minute after a fantastic lobbed pass from his teammate Sergio Busquets.
Then, he completed his brace in just the 22nd minute after scoring with another brilliant finish with his weak foot on Robert Taylor’s assist.
The footballer also registered his first assist with Miami. Messi ran half of the pitch with the ball at his feet on the counter and assisted Taylor who also scored his brace with the Argentine’s assist.