{"id":288617,"date":"2023-09-04T13:34:41","date_gmt":"2023-09-04T13:34:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportslifetale.com\/?p=288617"},"modified":"2023-09-04T13:34:41","modified_gmt":"2023-09-04T13:34:41","slug":"lionel-messi-finally-speaks-after-inter-miamis-3-1-win-at-lafc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportslifetale.com\/soccer\/lionel-messi-finally-speaks-after-inter-miamis-3-1-win-at-lafc\/","title":{"rendered":"Lionel Messi FINALLY speaks after Inter Miami's 3-1 win at LAFC"},"content":{"rendered":"
Lionel Messi has spoken postgame for the first time in MLS competition as scrutiny intensified due to his absence being a violation of the league’s media policy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Messi’s spoke with Apple TV’s <\/span>Antonella Gonzalez following the 3-1 win at LAFC, fulfilling his obligation of speaking to media – as is required of all MLS players.<\/p>\n Despite sitting eight points outside the Eastern Conference playoffs – albeit with two games in hand – with nine matches remaining, the Argentine is aiming to conquer America this season, as he has done Spain, France and Europe itself.\u00a0<\/p>\n ‘The team grows more by the day, we have been saying it since the start of all of this. We had the luck of finding a tournament and getting to the finals,’ he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n ‘And now we’re going for the goal of getting to the eight to try to win the league this is the way. Obviously winning gives us lots of confidence.’<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lionel Messi spoke postgame to Apple TV’s Spanish-language reporter Antonella Gonzalez<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Messi provided an assist as Inter Miami won 3-1 vs. the reigning defending champions, LAFC<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Argentine brought many Hollywood stars including Owen Wilson (C) and his son, Robert<\/p>\n Against the defending champions, Inter Miami put on a show in front of a Hollywood crowd.\u00a0<\/p>\n Facundo Farias opened the scoring against the run of play in the 14th minute before\u00a0 Jordi Alba doubled the Herons’ lead shortly after the break.\u00a0<\/p>\n Then, Messi set Leonardo Campana to all but seal the win prior to a late consolation for the hosts.<\/p>\n ‘We said before the match this would be a great test for us to see where we stand and what we’re capable of,’ Messi added.\u00a0<\/p>\n ‘We played in a hard field against a very good opponent – the last champions and we got a very important result for what’s coming.’<\/p>\n The 36-year-old played the entirety of the game – his second successive 90-minute match after starting from the bench in his MLS debut vs. New York Red Bulls on August 26.\u00a0<\/p>\n ‘I feel good physically,’ Messi said. ‘Thank God I can keep playing and helping the team in any way I can and hopefully we continue in this dynamic.’<\/p>\n According to The Athletic<\/span>, Messi and his representatives have an arrangement with the league that means the World Cup star can choose his media commitments.\u00a0<\/p>\n The outlet cites a source as saying it’s ‘a handshake sort of deal’ and that the overall terms of the agreement are ‘a work in progress’.\u00a0<\/p>\n