Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Inter Miami were held scoreless for a second-straight preseason game as the Herons fell 1-0 to FC Dallas.
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Inter Miami goes scoreless againSuarez makes second appearance back alongside MessiFerreira scores winner for DallasGetty/GOALTELL ME MORE
All eyes were obviously on Inter Miami's superstars, but it was FC Dallas' homegrown striker that immediately set the tone in front of a hometown crowd. Just three minutes into the match, Ferreira netted the game's opening goal with the USMNT striker providing a composed finish, kickstarting his preseason with a cheeky strike against Messi and co.
Ferreira's finish turned out to be the game's lone goal, with Inter Miami largely controlling the play from that point forward. Tata Martinos's side had a bulk of the possession but didn't quite create the chances needed to score. One of their best looks came off the foot of Messi in the first half, but FC Dallas goalkeeper Maarten Paes was able to dive to make the save. The Argentine also nearly put in an Olimpico, but Paes denied him once again.
Miami had a few chances in the second half, with both Luis Suarez and Leo Campana going close, only to see the offside flag raised anyway. The ex-Barcelona trio of Messi, Suarez and Sergio Busquets lasted 64 minutes before being subbed off, having gone 45 minutes in the 0-0 draw with El Salvador last Friday.
AdvertisementTHE MVP
He's fallen down the pecking order a little bit with the USMNT, but Ferreira seems intent on starting this season with a bang after scoring in the win. The FC Dallas striker scored 13 league goals last season, down from 18 the year prior, but anyone who watches MLS would say the 23-year-old forward is among the best attackers in the league. Can he take a leap forward this season, though? If he does, it would be huge for FC Dallas, on the field and perhaps off of it should European clubs come sniffing.
GettyTHE BIG LOSER
We aren't worried just yet, but the Inter Miami attack is struggling big time through two games. Suarez hasn't quite looked himself through these first two matches and has struggled to really get going and generate chances in the final-third. It'll surely come, particularly with Messi feeding him, but, at least so far, it's been made pretty clear that even the Barca bunch have some rust to shake off heading toward the regular season. Another question to be raised is if Martino's 5-3-2 is the most beneficial system for their roster at the moment, especially considering the chemistry that Robert Taylor and Messi had last campaign.
GettyWHAT COMES NEXT?
Inter Miami's globe-trotting preseason will now head to Saudi Arabia, as they gear up for matches against Al-Hilal and, of course, Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr. After those two matches on January 29 and February 1, Miami will head to Asia to face the Hong Kong XI on February 4 and Vissel Kobe on February 7 before wrapping up the preseason with a visit from Messi's childhood club, Newell's Old Boys, on February 15.