Inter Miami 2-0 Salt Lake HIGHLIGHTS, MLS 2024-25: Gomez, Taylor score as Miami begins season with win

AND THAT WILL BE IT! Inter Miami starts off the season with a win over Salt Lake! However, Tata Martino will not be happy with the defensive performance in the second half. Nonetheless, goals from Taylor and Gomez sealed the deal for Inter Miami. The Messi-led side will take on LA Galaxy next on February 26 at 7:00am IST

Four added minutes

OUT: Suarez, IN: Campana

Miami has turned the tables quickly. Now, the Messi-led team looks relentless with its attacks as Messi and Suarez, both orchestrating attakcs one after another 

AND JUST LIKE THAT INTER MIAMI DOUBLES ITS LEAD! GOMES WITH THE GOAL! Messi and Suarez combined to provide an assist for Gomes, who slots it past MacMath 

Into the final 10 minutes of the match and we have to admit that Salt Lake has been extremely unlucky in the last 30 odd minutes. They’ve been churning out chance after chance but have not been able to convert any of them, including a wonderful save from Callender to deny a headed goal

IN: D. Ruiz OUT: R. Taylor IN: J. Mota OUT: J. Gressel IN: N. Allen OUT: T. Aviles

A CHANCE GOES BEGGING! Julio runs towards the final third on the right flank and sends the ball inside the box towards Chicho, who is tripped down by one of the Miami outfits. The referee is unmoved but Chicho looks livid, asking for a penalty

OUT: Diego, IN: Caliskan

The second half has been the opposite of the first, with Real Salt Lake putting enormous pressure on Miami. Out of one such attacks, it gets a corner and Ruiz takes it. He sends one inside the box that is headed towards goal but a SUPERB SAVE FROM CALLENDER HELPS MIAMI MAINTAIN THE LEAD! 

OUT: Palacio, Gomes, IN: Fidel, Julio

Messi gets the ball inside the box and shoots. It takes a deflection off a Salt Lake player and looks like he had his hand out. Potential penalty situation for Miami but thge referral shows Busquets was offside during the build up! 

Messi sends a lofted ball towards Taylor near the box but MacMath’s pro active movement keeps the Miami player at bay

Corner for Salt Lake. Luna sends a searching ball inside the box. Gomes heads it but Callender punches it away. Ruiz gets the ball on the rebound and tries his luck from outside the box but the shot is off target

SO CLOSE! There were six defenders surrounding Messi but the Argentine somehow found a way inside the box with swift movements. He gets deep inside the box and sends a cross towards Gressel, whose shot goes agonisingly close to the cross bar

A perfectly timed through ball comes towards Chicho but before the forward could do anything, he is pushed away by Kryvtsov inside the box

Chicho gets the ball rolling as the second half gets underway

And the first 45 minutes come to an end. Inter Miami, which has been the dominant team, goes into the break in front courtesy for a goal from Taylor. Salt Lake will have a lot of retrospection to do and will expect to not loose posession as it did in this half. An exciting second half on the cards

Three added minutes. Meanwhile, Brody is down on the ground in agony as Gressel seemed to have stomped his hand during the build-up to the previous attack. The medical team rushes in to attend him and thankfully, for Salt Lake, the number two gets up and walks towards the sidelines rather quickly for a quick break

What a chance for Miami! Gressel broke free and makes a solo run near the box. He finds Messi to his right with MacMath well out of his position. Messi sees the situation and tries to slot one home but there are far too many defenders surrounding him

AND TAYLOR PUTS INTER MIAMI IN FRONT OUT OF NOWHERE! MACMATH SHOULD’VE SAVED THAT! Taylor gets a wonderful through ball from Messi and he latches on to the ball to shoot it from an awkward angle. MacMath tries to save but the ball slips out of his hand and goes into the goal 

Taylor finds Alba on the left flank. The latter then sends it to Messi at the edge of the box, who tries to penetrate the defense but gets intercepted

Corner for Miami and Messi takes it. He sees Alba outside the box and sends it towards him. The latter tries to convert the volley but the shot is well off target

Alves gest an unintentional elbow on Chicho and the latter is on the ground in pain. The play comes to a halt but the referee opts against penalising Miami

Messi takes the free kick, sends a powerful cross inside the box but it falls on no mans land

Yet another free kick for Miami. This time, Taylor is fouled by Eneli. Alba tries his best to persuade the referee to take his card out but nothing happens

SUPERB SAVE FROM MACMATH! Gomez tries his luck from outside the box with a low-kept shot but MacMath dives full length to keep the ball away

Absolute Chaos inside the box! Messi initiated the attack and sent one inside the box. Suarez, Taylor and Gressel tried to shoot it in but all three get blocked. Yedlin finally got the ball on the rebound but he miscues his shot as the scoreboard stays unchanged

Taylor links up to Suarez in the middle from the right. The Uruguayan tries to slot it in but the shot is too weak to test MacMath

Corner. Messi floats one high inside the box but it is headed away! 

Free kick from a dangerous position and it’s none other than Messi who takes it. A familiar sight. GLAD! WHAT A HEADED CLEARANCE TO KEEP THE SCORES LEVEL! If not for him, that would’ve rattled the back of the net! 

Ruiz is booked for a reckless tackle on Messi just inches away from the box

Chicho gets a superb through ball near the box and it was just him and the keeper between the goal but Alba comes from behind with a superb sliding tackle to keep Chico at bay

Another free kick for Miami as Suarez is brought down. But nothing comes out of it as Messi tried to go for quick passes, only for Alba’s through ball to get intercepted by a defender

Finally some positivity from Salt Lake. Chicho runs riot on the left flank and progesses into the final third. He scans for teammates inside the box but finds no one and is forced to back track. Meanwhile, Will Smith is in attendance at the Chase stadium! 

A mixup between Salt Lake defenders puts the side in trouble as Messi gains posession at the edge of the box. He plays one into the box towards one of the thee Miami outfits as Suarez gets the ball eventually. He tries to make the most out of the situation but two defenders combine to clear the ball away

Free kick for Miami as Messi is fouled. He takes the kick quickly and sends it to Gressel on the right flank. The latter then diverts it into the box towards Suarez, who tries to tap it in but mistimes the shot 

Corner for Miami. Quickly taken. Kryvstov gets the ball in the middle from Messi. The former then tries to float it inside the box but the ball goes into the keeper’s gloves 

Utter midfield domination from Miami. They’ve maintained a healthy posession in the middle with Yedlin, Alba and Messi getting into action

Action straightaway! Suarez gets the ball at the edge of the box from Messi, who quickly moves into the box. Suarez chips it over a couple of defenders towards the skipper, but the pass is a bit overcooked as the keeper, MacMath, intercepts to avert danger 

Messi gets the ball rolling as Inter Miami starts from left to right. The skipper, alongside former Barcelona teammates Suarez, Alba and Busquets are all making their first full season debut 

Inter Miami will sport the usual pink jersey while Real Salt Lake will been seen in a yellow and navy blue outfit 

We are minutes away from the kick-off. Inter Miami’s home ground has been renamed to the Chase stadium from DRV PNK Stadium because of the multi-year deal between Messi’s side and JP Morgan Chase 

When will Inter Miami vs Real Salt Lake match start?

The MLS match between Inter Miami vs Real Salt Lake will kick off on February 22, 2024 at 6:30 a.m. IST. 

Where to watch the Inter Miami vs Real Salt Lake match in India?

The MLS match between Inter Miami vs Real Salt Lake will not be broadcast in India. The match can be live streamed on Apple TV with an MLS season pass. There will be no other live streams in India.

MacMath; Brody, Vera, Glad, Eneli; Palacio, Oieda, Gomez, Ruiz, Luna; Chicho

Inter Miami: Callender; Yedlin, Freire, Aviles, Alba; Gressel, Busquets, Ruiz; Messi, Suarez, Gomez

Real Salt Lake: MacMath; Brody, Glad, Vera, Katranis; Ojeda, Palacio; Gomez, Crooks, Luna; Arango