The friendly match between Inter Miami and Independiente del Valle from Ecuador in Puerto Rico would not really have been worth mentioning: but chaotic scenes surrounding Lionel Messi brought the game into the spotlight after all.
Lionel Messi is one of the most popular soccer players in the world, no question about it—especially on the American continent, where “La Pulga” wins hearts and friendly matches are postponed especially for him. Inter Miami and Independiente del Valle were supposed to play a friendly match on February 13, but it was postponed because the eight-time world soccer player was injured.
Now the Argentine was back, but initially sat on the bench in Puerto Rico. From there, he witnessed the irritation that ensued. A dispute arose between the two clubs over the jersey colors, and despite an hour-long delay, no solution was found. In the end, both teams took to the field in black jerseys. Santiago Morales gave Miami the lead in the 16th minute, but Patrik Mercado equalized immediately (17th minute).
Wild final phase in Bayamon
The score was 1-1 at halftime, and Messi entered the field after the break and became the match winner in the 70th minute with a converted penalty kick in front of 20,000 spectators in Bayamon.
Things got wild in the final phase when, in the 88th minute, some fans overcame the security measures and stormed the field. Two spectators rushed towards Messi, one asking for a selfie, the other for an autograph. A third fan, who had previously run across half the pitch, went even further and grabbed the 38-year-old superstar. The problem was that the fan was pursued by a security guard who took no prisoners and grabbed the fan with gusto. In doing so, he not only knocked the troublemaker to the ground, but also Messi, who was briefly annoyed but ultimately took it in stride. Messi quickly got back up, shook himself off, and remained uninjured. The match then ended peacefully without further incident.
