As Inter Miami and Al Ahly tie 0-0, Messi is denied the late winner.
In front of 60,927 spectators in Florida, FIFA's new 32-team tournament got off to a smooth start on Saturday as Egyptian team Al Ahly held Lionel Messi and Inter Miami to a 0-0 tie.
As Miami applied further pressure in the closing minutes of the game, Messi's looping drive from 20 yards out was pushed on to the bar by Mohamed El Shenawy, depriving him of a historic stoppage-time winner.
With more than 10,000 supporters cheering them on, Al Ahly was forced to regret a penalty kick from Egypt international Trezeguet in the first half that Miami's Argentine goalkeeper Oscar Ustari saved.
However, as Miami fought for three points in the Group A match, the Egyptians also had El Shenawy to thank for another excellent stop in the closing seconds to save a header from Maxi Falcon.
The lack of a goal was the lone letdown for FIFA, the tournament's organizers, who have been heavily questioned about the tournament's importance. The night fulfilled all the other expectations of its president, Gianni Infantino.
With the stadium nearly full at kickoff, concerns about a small audience for the opener subsided as seats in the 64,000-seat capacity started to fill up.
Arriving at Hard Rock Stadium well before kickoff, thousands of supporters of Al Ahly, the record 12-time African Champions League winner and 45-time league champions of Egypt, made their presence known with chants and singing.
At last year's Copa America final between Argentina and Colombia, the stadium—home of the NFL's Miami Dolphins—saw tumultuous scenes as fans stormed in after lengthy lines to get in.
Drama involving penalties
However, there were no indications of any issues, and an effective filter system was in place for ticket and security inspections far outside the stadium perimeter.
Furthermore, there was no sign that the game in the predominantly Hispanic South Florida town was impacted in any way by the contentious crackdown on illegal immigration that US President Donald Trump's administration was implementing. 000
0 Comments