Expectations high for Messi
MIAMI (AFP) — Lionel Messi and Inter Miami get the new Major League Soccer season under way on Wednesday, Feb. 21, with pressure on the Argentine star to deliver trophies for his club and more eyeballs on the league.
The World Cup winner joined Inter from Paris Saint Germain in mid-july, the biggest name ever to move to MLS and his signing caused a massive spurt in interest in American soccer.
The eight-times and current Ballon d'or winner, made an instant impact, leading Miami to the Leagues Cup title, packing stadiums and massively increasing subscriptions to Apple TV'S MLS Season Pass broadcast package.
But the excitement waned as the 36-year-old struggled to maintain his fitness in the face of a hectic schedule and Miami was unable to overcome its poor early season results and make the playoffs.
Then Inter's decision to undertake a grueling overseas pre-season tour backfired with Messi and the team booed in Hong Kong after the star sat out a high-profile friendly due to injury.
Poor performances added to the sense that money-spinning trips to El Salvador, Saudi Arabia and Japan had been a mis-step for a team looking to hit the ground running this season.
A long and busy season awaits for Messi and his team-mates who, as well as competing in MLS, have qualified for the regional CONCACAF Champions Cup.
Miami will also aim to defend its Leagues Cup title — against Mexican as well as MLS opposition — and all those challenges come in a summer which will include Argentina's bid for the Copa America in the USA.
Messi has been joined in Miami by another veteran striker in Uruguayan Luis Suarez, making up a quartet of former Barcelona players with midfielder Sergio Busquets and leftback Jordi Alba.
Coping with expectation
No MLS team has ever been able to draw on players of such pedigree and experience and with that comes the expectation that it will land the club's first MLS title. Messi is well used to such pressure but it is a new sensa- tion for some of the younger players in Gerardo Martino's squad. Shanyder Borgelin, the 22-year-old striker who scored in last week's home friendly against Argentine club Newells Old Boys, says the team can cope with the high expectations.