Lionel Messi and Inter Miami keep scoring late. Is it luck or part of the plan?
Lionel Messi's debut for Major League Soccer's Inter Miami last season was the stuff of legend.
With Miami up 1-0 against Mexico's Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup, Messi entered the match in the 54th minute. After tying the score, Cruz Azul tired. Taking advantage of a silly foul on the edge of Cruz Azul box, Messi drove home a free kick to win the match at the death.
That goal not only heralded the start of the Messi era for Inter Miami. It also served as the start of Inter Miami's knack for scoring goals late in matches.
Since Messi's arrival against Cruz Azul, Inter Miami has played 25 matches. It has scored in the final 10 minutes in 14 of them — a 56 percent hit rate. Of those 14 goals, seven wound up being match deciders.
The most recent example came Thursday against Nashville in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. Thoroughly outplayed and down 2-0 at the end of the first half, Miami fought back to make the score 2-1. Then as the game ticked into extra time, Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez tied the score, breaking Nashville's heart.
Most soccer analysts loathe late goals because they speak to poor game control. Relying upon late scores isn't a smart way to win trophies.
The frequency of Inter Miami's late goals, however, leaves many analysts wondering if it's an intentional plan by the Florida team. Could Inter Miami, aware of the limitations of its veteran stars, be playing cautiously to conserve energy for the final moments of matches? Or are all of its late goals simply a product of chance?
There's reason to believe it's the former. Inter Miami's late goals haven't just come from superstars Messi and Suarez. David Ruiz, Josef Martinez, Robert Taylor, Leo Campana, Tomas Aviles, Robbie Robinson and Diego Gomez have scored goals in the final 10 minutes of matches, too.
Inter Miami coach Tata Martino has effusively praised his team for rising to the occasion late in games.
"The team in injury time achieves the result," he said after Miami's victory against Nashville, per MLS.com. "They do not decline. The search continues.
"We were rewarded for our insistence."
Miami's late-game confidence is fantastic in single-game knockout competitions such as the Leagues Cup and the Champions Cup. But it could come back to bite it in a points-driven MLS season that stretches from March to December and encompasses more games (and travel) than most domestic leagues.
Fitness plays a huge part in who becomes MLS champion. Teams tire as the fixtures pile up and late-game energy levels decrease.
Will Inter Miami's good fortunes continue? That will be put to the test in an MLS game Sunday at home against CF Montréal.
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