Luis Suarez's Inter Miami debut was a quiet one, as Lionel Messi and co were held scoreless to open preseason in a draw with El Salvador.
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Messi and Suarez go 45 minutesInter Miami held scorelessFirst match of Herons' World TourTELL ME MORE
It was a quiet night for Messi, Suarez and the Barcelona gang, who played the first 45 minutes of Inter Miami's first friendly of preseason on Friday. The match was a unique one, a clash with El Salvador's national team at the Estadio Cuscatlan, as Miami opened up a wild world tour ahead of the MLS campaign.
The foursome of Messi, Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba all started, having a few good moments together, but those moments were few and far between. El Salvador arguably had the better of the first half, generating a few decent chances early on.
Inter Miami grew into the game late in the first 45, headlined by one sequence put together by the Barcelona legends but, when the second period kicked off, the Herons' four big stars were out of the game, much to the disappointment of the crowd in El Salvador.
The second 45 proved a bit more eventful, with some fiery confrontations between the two teams, but it ultimately ended scoreless as neither side could quite find the breakthrough when all was said and done.
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Widely expected to be swept aside, El Salvador battled strong against Inter Miami's star-studded team and probably were the side most likely to get the winning goal. At the other end of the pitch, though, goalkeeper Mario Gonzalez put together a strong performance to keep Inter Miami scoreless in a match he will surely tell future generations about someday. It's not too often that you keep both Suarez and Messi out of the net.
THE BIG LOSER
He was overshadowed a bit last season by the club's other mega-signings, but Facundo Farias arrived at Inter Miami with high hopes. A young, dynamic Argentine attacker with his country's giants all chasing after him, Farias instead chose Miami, a club that gave him a chance to learn from some of the very best in a massive, massive spotlight.
The 21-year-old winger scored three goals in 2023, but his 2024 is already off to a nightmare start. A half-time substitute for Messi, Farias was carted off midway through the second period, having suffered an apparent knee injury in the first friendly of the season. Farias, and Inter Miami, will hope it isn't serious as the youngster has the potential to be a big, big contributor across several competitions this season.
GettyWHAT COMES NEXT?
Inter Miami's globetrotting preseason is just beginning, with the club set for a brief return to the U.S. for their next stop. Monday's clash with FC Dallas at the Cotton Bowl comes before the club heads to Saudi Arabia to face Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr, as well as Al-Hilal. The Herons will then head east to take on the Hong Kong XI and Vissel Kobe before concluding preseason at home against Messi's former club, Newell's, on February 15.
