Inter Miami bounced back on Saturday with a commanding 4–1 victory over the New York Red Bulls at Chase Stadium in MLS action. Despite the much-needed win, Lionel Messi sparked concern when he headed straight to the dressing room at the final whistle without celebrating on the pitch. Midfielder Telasco Segovia later offered some insight into the star’s demeanor.
The Herons had endured a rough stretch, suffering three consecutive losses across all competitions—including their elimination from the CONCACAF Champions Cup by Vancouver Whitecaps and a league defeat to FC Dallas. With a critical stretch of matches ahead, Inter Miami needed a strong response—and they delivered.
Goals from Fafa Picault, Marcelo Weigandt, Luis Suarez—who ended his scoring drought—and Messi lifted Miami past the Red Bulls. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting provided the lone tally for the visitors. Still, Messi’s body language drew attention throughout the match.
At halftime, the Argentine was the first to leave the field, and following the final whistle, he again went directly to the locker room—bypassing the usual postgame celebrations with teammates. That led to speculation about whether something was bothering the captain.
Segovia sheds light on Messi’s mood
Telasco Segovia has been one of the high points at Inter Miami once he got subbed in the second half for Tadeo Allende, delivering the assist for Lionel Messi’s goal. When asked about Messi’s mood in half time, the Venezuelan midfielder was straight.
see also
Video: Lionel Messi scores tremendous goal for Inter Miami in MLS game against NY Red Bulls
“He was calm. He wanted his goal, and he got it,” Segovia told reporters in the mixed zone. Although Messi had 66 touches—among the most in the match—he appeared uncomfortable at times and gave only a muted reaction to his goal, fueling questions about his form and fitness.
Segovia also spoke about the team’s support for both Messi and Suárez as they work through recent challenges: “Let them keep scoring—we’re going to support them. And if they don’t, it’s not the end of the world either. They also go through rough patches, and we’ll back them to the end so they can score goals and provide assists.”
