When Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Andres Cubas lost the ball in midfield in the 71st minute of Saturday’s MLS Cup, he probably expected to see one of Inter Miami’s battle-hardened midfielders like Rodrigo De Paul or Sergio Busquets running away with it. It wasn’t.
It was Lionel Messi.
Messi, the greatest to ever play the game but never renowned for his defensive work, dropped into midfield to make one of the most crucial tackles of the season, winning the ball and slipping De Paul in on goal to set up the game-winner.
Not long after, Inter Miami clinched a 3-1 win to claim their first MLS Cup.
