Messi Scores Twice as Inter Miami Defeat Columbus Crew 3-2 to Secure Supporters’ Shield
- Lionel Messi scored two goals to help Inter Miami defeat the Columbus Crew 3-2 on October 2, 2024, at Lower.com Field.
- The match began with a tightly contested first 45 minutes that saw both teams held scoreless.
- Following a foul charged to Columbus defender Rudy Camacho, Messi took a free kick and bent the ball around the Crew's defensive wall for his second goal of...
Lionel Messi scored two goals to help Inter Miami defeat the Columbus Crew 3-2 on October 2, 2024, at Lower.com Field. The victory secured the 2024 Supporters’ Shield for Inter Miami, an annual award given to the Major League Soccer club with the best regular-season record.
First-Half Breakthrough and Messi’s Scoring Impact
The match began with a tightly contested first 45 minutes that saw both teams held scoreless. That deadlock broke in the final minute of regulation time in the first half. Messi found himself inside the Columbus penalty box and maneuvered past two defenders before going one-on-one with goalkeeper Patrick Schulte. With Schulte positioned in the center of the goal, Messi sent his shot to the goalkeeper’s left to put Inter Miami ahead.
Just five minutes later, Messi extended the lead to 2-0. Following a foul charged to Columbus defender Rudy Camacho, Messi took a free kick and bent the ball around the Crew’s defensive wall for his second goal of the match.
Second-Half Goals and Red-Card Ejection
The Columbus Crew responded immediately after the second-half whistle. Diego Rossi scored in the opening minute of the period to halve the deficit to 2-1. However, Inter Miami needed only a minute to restore their two-goal cushion when a miscommunication between Schulte and Camacho inside the box allowed Luis Suarez to score.
Columbus cut the lead back to 3-2 at the 61-minute mark when Inter Miami defender Federico Redondo was penalized for a handball inside his own box. Cucho Hernandez successfully converted the ensuing penalty kick. Shortly after that goal, Camacho received his second yellow card of the match, resulting in a red-card ejection that left the Crew playing with ten men for the remainder of the contest.
Late Penalty Miss and Supporter Shield Triumph
The Crew had another opportunity to equalize when a video review spotted a second handball in the Miami box by defender Ian Fray. Hernandez took his second penalty kick attempt, but Inter Miami goalkeeper Drake Callender blocked the shot away, allowing the defense to clear the ball out of bounds.
Despite late substitutions from both sides and six minutes of stoppage time, Columbus failed to score any additional goals. The 3-2 win finalized Inter Miami’s capture of the 2024 Supporters’ Shield during Messi’s first-ever appearance in Columbus.