2023 League Cup: Lionel Messi helped Inter Miami beat Nashville SC 10-9 on penalties to win the 2023 League Cup. Messi not only scored in regulation time in a 1-1 draw, but also in the subsequent penalty shootout.
Inter Miami beat Nashville SC in a dramatic League Cup final, giving Lionel Messi his first championship since moving to America. The game, played at Geodis Park in Nashville, Tennessee, was a mystery contest that went to penalties after regulation time ended in a 1–1 draw.
2023 League Cup: Lionel Messi scored the first goal of the game in the 23rd minute.
Lionel Messi scored the first goal of the game in the 23rd minute. The Argentine superstar, who recently joined Inter Miami after seven games last, displayed his remarkable abilities by grabbing a blocked shot at the top of the box, dribbling past two Nashville players and firing a shot into the top corner . It was Messi’s 10th goal of the competition.
Then, Nashville SC increased their aggression and attacked the Miami box, especially in the second half. Their persistence was finally rewarded when Nashville SC equalized in the 57th minute with a goal from Fafa Picoult’s corner kick. The ball bounced past Picoult’s head. Picoult headed it towards goal, where it took a deflection off Cremaschi and headed past Inter Miami custodian Callender.
The Miami custodian, who was called upon several times to keep the score settled, was the busier of the two shotstoppers on Saturday. In the waning seconds of stoppage time, Leonardo Campana had a chance to score the game-winning goal when he sprinted into the area, managed to round the goalkeeper, and got on the end of his pass. However, the Inter Miami attacker was only able to get the ball past the post.