Messi’s Late Masterclass Secures Miami’s Victory Over Colorado in New Coach’s Debut

The match was moved to Denver’s expansive NFL stadium due to the overwhelming demand to witness the Argentina World Cup hero play, and for a time, it seemed like the home team would seize control after rallying from a 2-0 deficit.

However, Messi, who had previously scored from the penalty spot, was determined to turn the tide. With just over ten minutes to go, the Argentine bolted onto a through ball from Rodrigo De Paul down the right flank.

He made his way into the penalty area and skillfully manoeuvred a shot with his favoured left foot through a trio of defenders and past the goalkeeper into the corner of the net.

This victory marked a triumphant debut for Hoyos as the Miami coach, stepping in after Javier Mascherano left the role for “personal reasons” just four months after leading the team to its inaugural MLS Cup title.

“We possess the greatest player in history, someone who can completely change the course of a match,” remarked a thrilled Hoyos.

The 62-year-old made minimal alterations to the squad, most notably introducing German Berterame in place of Tadeo Allende, who is still sidelined with a muscle injury.

This victory propelled Inter Miami into second place in the Eastern Conference standings.

“This builds upon the work we’ve been doing and the forward momentum the team has achieved — we are the current MLS champions. We are a cohesive unit,” Hoyos commented.

“Just take a look at the energy generated by Inter Miami — the need to shift to a larger stadium reflects that — and contrast that with the quiet professionalism we’ve always endeavoured to maintain,” he added, speaking in Spanish.

In front of 75,824 supporters—making it the second-largest turnout in MLS history—Miami started the match slowly but soon received a prime opportunity.

When Colorado attempted to play out from the back under Miami’s pressure, Josh Atencio fouled Yannick Bright in the box, conceding a penalty.

After a lengthy VAR review, Messi confidently stepped up and rolled the ball right down the middle as the goalkeeper dived to his left.

Even though Colorado dominated possession, they posed little threat to Miami.

Just before halftime, the Rapids lost possession in their own territory, allowing Messi to flick the ball to Mateo Silvetti, who delivered a cross that Berterame converted with a well-placed header from close range.

The Rapids fought back impressively in the second half.

Just before the 60-minute mark, Rafael Navarro seized the ball just over the halfway line, surged through the middle, and, with a clever feint, slipped it into the bottom right corner.

Colorado’s coach, Matt Wells, quickly responded by substituting in attacker Darren Yapi for Hamzat Ojediran.

The decision proved to be a masterstroke.

Just four minutes after their initial goal, a precise ball from Lucas Herrington found Yapi on a diagonal run, finally bringing the Rapids level.

Nonetheless, Messi snuffed out the home team’s resurgence with his late brilliance.

The match concluded on a grim note as Bright received a red card for using abusive language in protest against a yellow card shown to his teammate, Telasco Segovia.