Vissel Kobe vs. Inter Miami: Lionel Messi, Inter Miami CF’s star player, finally appeared in Japan on Wednesday after skipping the previous match in Hong Kong due to a groin injury.
However, his 30-minute cameo was not enough to prevent his team from losing 4-3 on penalties to Vissel Kobe, the reigning J1 League champions.
Messi came off the bench in the 60th minute and injected some energy into the game, creating several chances for himself and his teammates. He almost scored in the 80th minute, but his two shots were blocked by Vissel’s goalkeeper Shota Arai and defender Daigo Nishi.
The match ended 0-0 after 90 minutes and went to a penalty shootout, where Messi did not take part, much to the disappointment of the 28,614 fans at the Tokyo National Stadium.
The Argentina legend faced a backlash from the Hong Kong fans, who booed him and demanded refunds after he did not play a single minute in the friendly against the Hong Kong Team on Sunday.
Messi had apologized in a rare press conference on Tuesday, saying he was not fit enough to play and hoped to be ready for the Tokyo match.
However, his appearance in Japan did not appease the Hong Kong government, which issued a statement asking for a “reasonable explanation” from Inter Miami and the match organizers.
The statement also hinted at China and Japan’s political and commercial rivalry, saying that Hong Kongers deserved “equal treatment” as fans in other parts of Asia.
Inter Miami coach Gerardo Martino defended his decision to play Messi for only 30 minutes, saying he felt good after Tuesday’s practice and looked comfortable on the pitch.
He did not explain why Messi did not take a penalty, though.
The match in Tokyo was the last stop of Inter Miami’s global promotional tour, which also included games in El Salvador, Dallas, Saudi Arabia, and Hong Kong. Inter Miami won only one of the six matches.
The team will return to Florida for their final preseason game against Newell’s Old Boys, Messi’s boyhood club from Argentina, on Feb. 16. Their regular season will kick off on Feb. 21 against Real Salt Lake.
