Lionel Messi scored on his return to action as Inter Miami triumphed 2-0 in Jamaica over Cavalier FC on Thursday to qualify for the quarterfinals of the Concacaf Champions Cup.
Messi bolstered Miami’s attack when coming off the bench in the second half to help propel the team to a 4-0 aggregate victory in the round-of-16 tie, returning to the pitch for the first time since facing Sporting Kansas City on Feb. 25.
Messi sat out three games for Miami as head coach Javier Mascherano stressed that the Argentina great needed to be rested due to load management, in an effort to avoid a future injury.
His entrance off the bench in place of Luis Suárez in the 53rd minute prompted loud cheers from the large crowd at Kingston’s Independence Park as the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner made his first appearance in Jamaica.
And he made an immediate impact for the Major League Soccer side. The captain marked his comeback with a goal just seconds before the final whistle, rocketing the ball into the opposite corner of the net. The assist came from 18-year-old Inter Miami homegrown player Santiago Morales, who made his MLS debut earlier this season.
When addressing the media on Wednesday, Mascherano confirmed Messi would travel with the team to Jamaica but failed to disclose whether the famed No. 10 would make an appearance.
Miami entered the game in the Jamaican capital with a 2-0 advantage from the first leg at home last week, thanks to goals from Tadeo Allende and Suárez.
Miami then quickly extended the lead in the first half of the second leg when earning a penalty from a foul on Allende inside the box. Suárez stepped up to the spot and rocketed the ball into the lower left corner of the net.
Inter Miami will now prepare to face LAFC in the quarterfinals of the Champions Cup, after the MLS Western Conference team defeated the Columbus Crew in the round of 16.
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