Los Angeles, Feb 22: Lionel Messi and Inter Miami got off to a rough start in their MLS Cup title defense when David Martínez, Denis Bouanga and Nathan Ordaz scored in Los Angeles FC’s 3-0 victory.
Son Heung-min set up Martínez’s opening goal for LAFC, which emphasized its status as a primary threat to Miami’s crown during a lively MLS season opener between two of the league’s marquee clubs.
“This game is always special because Messi played, and we have some (desire) to want to beat Miami because Messi is there,” Bouanga said. “Every player, the mentality is so high for this game. It’s high for all games, but maybe this game is more high than another mentality.”
The matchup drew 75,673 fans — the second-largest crowd in MLS history — to the historic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which is next-door to LAFC’s home BMO Stadium. The huge crowd celebrated a convincing win for the home team and still enjoyed a good look at Messi, who played the full match despite dealing with a strained hamstring this month.
“This game would have sold out five times at BMO, but we wanted to do something special,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber said. “This is a seminal year in the history of our sport and a big moment in the history of our league, so why not go into this historic stadium, bring Miami here, our champion, and have them play against LAFC?”
Bouanga exchanged jerseys with Messi after the match because the LAFC star’s son demanded it, he said with a grin.
Messi’s every move was greeted with cheers and boos by the California fans, but he didn’t manage a shot on target. The superstar is clearly working out his dynamic with his new teammates after the Herons lost Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba to retirement.
Messi put a shot just over Hugo Lloris’ bar in first-half injury time, and he never managed to link up with new forward Germán Berterame under pressure from LAFC’s impressive defense. Dayne St. Clair, Miami’s elite new goalkeeper, also made a positioning mistake in his debut that greatly simplified Bouanga’s goal.
“They put us (under) a lot of pressure, but we defended really well,” LAFC head coach Dos Santos said. “I don’t think we conceded big chances. There were these half-chances, but overall … I think that part of our game today, A-plus. The part of (our) possession, B. We can be much better, and we want to be much better, but our guys were a team.”
Dos Santos won in his debut as the third head coach in club history. The former Vancouver head coach and longtime LAFC assistant led his team to a 6-1 win over Real España earlier this week in its CONCACAF Champions Cup opener in Honduras.
LAFC went ahead in the 38th minute when Son controlled the ball in traffic and slotted a perfect pass to Martínez, who found the far bottom corner in stride. The 20-year-old Martínez has started his MLS career slowly, but LAFC remains confident the Venezuelan forward will be a star.
“We need to push him in the field because he has strong quality, but now he has changed (his) mentality, too,” Bouanga said of Martínez. “Last year is not the same to this year, and he knows.”
Bouanga had a hat trick in CONCACAF Champions Cup play earlier this week, and he added his first MLS goal of the season in the 73rd minute. The Frenchman who finished second to Messi in the Golden Boot race last season converted on a long pass from Timothy Tillman, adroitly heading it over the charging St. Clair before banging it home.
LAFC added a third goal in second-half injury time when Ordaz converted a pass from Bouanga.
LAFC improved to 4-2-0 against the Herons in the clubs’ history. LAFC also remained unbeaten in its season openers, improving to 9-0-0. (AP)
