Major League Soccer’s most valuable franchises will square off Saturday night when Inter Miami, led by superstar Lionel Messi, travels to face Son Heung-Min and Los Angeles FC to kick off the season for both clubs.
Both teams appear ready to field their strongest lineups for the highly anticipated matchup, which has been relocated to the larger Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum due to expected high demand.
Messi, who claimed last season’s Golden Boot award and his second consecutive MVP honor, has resumed practice with Miami following a minor hamstring strain that forced the cancellation of their final exhibition match in Puerto Rico.
Speaking in Spanish, Miami manager Javier Mascherano expressed disappointment about the missed opportunity. “It was unfortunate, of course, that we weren’t able to go,” Mascherano said. “Not only because it would’ve given us the opportunity to visit a country we haven’t had the chance to visit in recent years, but also because it would’ve been valuable preparation to face an opponent like Independiente del Valle.”
The defending MLS Cup champions received additional good news this week when newly signed forward German Berterame obtained his work visa and became eligible to play.
Had Berterame remained unavailable, Miami might have inserted 39-year-old Luis Suarez back into the starting lineup after he served as a substitute during last year’s championship run. Alternatively, they could have positioned Messi as the primary striker in a 4-3-3 formation, similar to their playoff configuration.
On the LAFC side, Son missed all preseason games while recovering from an undisclosed minor lower-body ailment. However, the Korean international dispelled any lingering health concerns with an outstanding display in LAFC’s CONCACAF Champions Cup match Tuesday evening.
The 33-year-old forward started the contest, found the net once, and provided three assists during his 61-minute appearance in a dominant 6-1 victory over Real Espana of Honduras in the first leg of their opening round series.
Denis Bouanga capitalized on Son’s playmaking, netting three goals to put LAFC in commanding position ahead of next week’s second leg. This comfortable advantage should allow first-year head coach Marc Dos Santos to give his key players extended playing time against Miami.
Bouanga celebrated his performance after the match, saying: “The feeling is very good. I’m very happy to score three. My team, my teammates helped me for this hat trick. I say thank you for the five (goal lead), and thank you to my team for that.”
