Lionel Messi drew vast crowds and showed flashes of his brilliance as his Inter Miami side were held to a goalless draw by African giants Al Ahly in the opening clash of the revamped Club World Cup.
Fans showed up en masse for the Group A clash at the Hard Rock Stadium, home to the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, but Messi could not fully deliver, his best chance coming through a last-second attempt that was deflected onto the crossbar.
Inter Miami next face Porto on Thursday in Atlanta while Al-Ahly, who benefited from raucous, massive support, will take on Palmeiras in New York, where more of their fans are expected to turn up.
Miami coach Javier Mascherano was quick to praise his Argentine star despite the slightly frustrating stalemate.
“It’s admirable how much love Messi has for the game,” said Mascherano. “After all the matches he’s played, he’s still here, giving his all. Of course, we wanted to win, but I’m happy with the team’s performance today.
“It’s clear that when we find Leo (Messi) in the right positions and give him good passes, we have more options and chances. In the first half, we kept trying to find him with the first ball, but they were ready for us.
“When we were more patient, we were able to find Leo. And we all know what he can do when he finds space.
“We were very nervous and anxious in the first half, which is normal given the context. In the second half, we were more patient. We played all over the pitch, created chances and could have scored to win the game. But it’s a 90-minute match, and let’s not forget we struggled in that first half.”
No incidents were reported at the game after around 1,000 protesters gathered in the morning near President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, about 70 miles (110 km) north of Miami, waving placards and chanting slogans as part of coordinated nationwide “No Kings” demonstrations.
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In Miami, 60,927 fans almost filled the 65,000-capacity stadium for Inter Miami’s clash with Al-Ahly dismissing, at least on the night, concerns about the attractiveness of the tournament featuring 32 teams for the first time, a year before the World Cup in the U.S.
Al-Ahly, backed by dozens of thousands of fans, got off to a strong start but wasted two early chances and Mimai goalkeeper Oscar Ustari parried away Trezeguet’s poorly-taken penalty after Zizo was fouled in the box by Telasco Segovia.
Messi threatened at times after spending some time on the ground after being hit on the knee, but Miami could feel lucky not to be behind at half-time.
The American side, however, stepped up a gear after the break, and Messi came close when his nicely curled free kick kissed the post and hit the side netting.
With six minutes left, the World Cup winner scooped a perfect cross for Fafa Picault, whose header was tipped over the bar by Mohamed Elshenawy.
He came an inch from scoring in the dying second when his curled strike from outside the box was tipped onto the bar by Elshenawy.
The Club World Cup continues on Sunday with Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain taking on Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich playing Auckland City.
Watch every Fifa Club World Cup game free on DAZN.
Reuters
