Even by the high standards of the great Argentine player Lionel Messi, the start to the new Major League Soccer season has been great.
The 36-year-old kept up his good scoring form on Saturday, scoring twice as Inter Miami beat the New England Revolution 4-1 at Gillette Stadium in front of a record crowd.
Inter Miami is currently in first place in the MLS Eastern Conference after a great start that saw them win six of their first eleven games.
Messi has been the team’s main playmaker and scorer during that time, with nine league goals and seven assists, which is the most of any player in the MLS right now.
It was a record-setting 65,612 people who came to see the Revolution play at home. Messi set two MLS records.
The league says that his 16 goal assists are the most by any player in the first seven games of a season. He also became the first player to contribute to more than one goal in five straight games.
At the bottom of the division At the start of the game, Tomás Chancalay gave Revolution the lead. But Messi’s goals in the 32nd and 68th minutes put Miami in charge. In the 83rd minute, Benjamin Cremaschi scored to make it 2-0. Later, Messi set up Luis Suárez for a late goal.
A spokesman for the Major League Soccer said after the game in Spanish, “People come to every stadium to see Leo, but they also want their team to win.”
“We’re always motivated by the atmosphere where we play, and the other team is also very motivated by it.”
There have been big crowds every time Messi has played. Fans want to see a player who has won eight Ballon d’Or awards and also won the World Cup with Argentina. The home crowd at Chase Field last week for Nashville SC’s game against Miami was a record 16.
His help has also been very important in Miami’s recent success, as he helped the team win its first trophy in August and move to the top of the Eastern Conference ranks this season.
