Messi makes up for embarrassing mistake with 2 brilliant goals in Miami win | OneFootball

The effort Inter Miami put into the FIFA Club World Cup over the last few weeks should not be underestimated. And perhaps even Lionel Messi went into the Herons' return to league play at CF Montreal with a little bit of a hangover.

That's one way to explain how the world's greatest living player made such a simple, stunningly mortal mistake to gift the home side the opening goal on Saturday night.

With Miami trying to play through Montreal's high press, Messi raced back into his own half to make himself available for Marcelo Weigandt's pass. But his first touch was heavy and then his second was far worse, an ill-advised path that may have been intended for center back Tomas Aviles or goalkeeper Oscar Ustari, but wasn't close reaching either.

Instead, it rolled directly into the path of Montreal striker Prince Owusu, who thanked the football gods for the unlikeliest of gifts by depositing a crisp low finish past Ustari.

Don't worry, the normal Messi returned quickly

If you're the kind of person who is shaken to their core by seeing your heroes exposed as mortal beings, the good news is it didn't last long.

Messi more than made up for his mistake as Herons surged to a 4-1 victory, putting the Herons in front by the 40th minute in a return to his typical, inevitable self. He finished with two goals and an assist on the night and now has 12 goals and seven assists on the season.

On the go-ahead goal, Luis Suarez won a header at the edge of the center circle to play Messi into space on the right. From there, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner did what he does, slaloming through three CF Montreal defenders before firing a finish beyond Jonathn Sirois

Messi also assisted Tadeo Allende's leveler in the 33rd minute and scored his second of the night (and Miami's fourth) in the 62nd minute on an even more brilliant sequence.

This time he made a magical weaving run through what seemed like the entiret of Montreal's helpless defense.

When it was all over, Miami had sealed a third consecutive MLS win, extending its unbeaten run to four matches. The Herons have been in some amazing attacking form over that run, scoring 16 goals.