3 Times Lionel Messi Substituted and Changed the Game

There he is, Lionel Messi, sitting next to his longtime teammate, his close friend Sergio Busquets. D'Andre Yellin, how about that for a ball? Yeah, big switch over to Robert Taylor. Taylor...TAYLOR! Jesus Duenas, thought about it, nifty ball in...CALENDAR! Couldn't get to it! Here we go, the debut, the greatest of all time, Lionel Messi. The moment is here. ...institution for inter-Miami CF. Please welcome the world's number 10, and now your number 10, La Familia. Please welcome to the pitch for the first time in Rosario Negro, numero 10, LIONEL MESSI! With Lionel Messi more than any other player. And here he is, his first time on the ball, first touches for Miami. Into Robert Taylor, he gets it back. Oh, Yellin leaving for Messi, into Taylor, this is so good for Miami. Messi, nifty touch from Yellin, oh, Messi spinning away, back to Yellin, YELLIN! It was blocked. Guerrero the tackle for Caruso's goal. But it's exactly the pattern of play that I'm telling you about, because if Messi gets into this hole... Joseph Martinez, into Messi, immediately throws down, free kick, give it! Salcedo's arguing that he didn't touch him, Messi's showing him the blood on his lip. Here it is, MESSI! From a movie, as you would write it, remarkable. Lionel Messi, on his debut, a moment that will live forever. Cruz Azul, it is Messi's moment, it is Messi's night. Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, with a win, would set the MLS single season points record with 74 points. Their opponents tonight, the club that holds that record, the New England Revolution. We welcome everybody watching on MLS 360 on what should be a thrilling MLS Decision Day. It's an early chance for Luka Langone, Aviles, second chance and in! Alhassan Youssef, tries to nutmeg Martinez, he gets away with it. Youssef back, Barrera, it's given! Ultra competitor, you know he wants the record. Martinez will step forward, Suarez, nutmegs of Arriaga. Taylor, Martinez continuing his run, it's Suarez, and Suarez! What was at stake, he knew all about, in postseason. Here's Suarez, cutting it back, Suarez again! You see the iPhones focused away from action, of Lionel Messi. Cutting inside, first to Messi, back to Jordi Alba, and across! I swear it's not that easy, he makes it look like it is. And every single time, I've been fortunate enough to be in the building where he plays, whether it's 90 minutes, 60 minutes, it doesn't matter, 5 minutes it could be, it doesn't matter. The technical quality is always evident. Now they decide to come, right. Messi, Suarez, Messi and Suarez. And Messi again, all around Arriaga, MESSI! Potentially, sealing a record-setting season for Inter Miami. Unstoppable! Completely undressing the New England Revolution backline, great little touch here. He floats into space, but watch him lose Arriaga with that little bit of a feint. And was there any doubt, that the moment he loses Arriaga with a dip of the shoulder, he cuts it to his left. He on pace to blow through those numbers. Maybe another chance for Messi, he's in, MESSI! It's a show tonight! It's the cherry on top of the greatest regular season in Major League Soccer history. Bow down to Messi, they say at Chase Stadium. Yeah, but someone's got to recognize the ball play from Jordi Alba is absolutely ridiculous. Because if you took a freeze-frame of what he saw, versus what the rest of the players saw on the field, nobody would have thought that this ball is going to be played in at the right pace in behind. But that little bit of a dink he goes in behind. We got into Suarez, Messi, Campana, turning, flicking, Suarez across, MESSI! His first hat-trick in pink on the final day of the regular season. Let there be no doubt, this is the greatest regular season team the league has ever seen. Led by our greatest player the sport has ever seen. 6-2 on decision day. How do you commentate over these pictures? What do you want me to say? I can't describe this pass from Suarez. The revolution we're leading 2-0. 2-0! It is over. Crown them the best. Inter-Miami have set the record for the most points in a single season in MLS history. But the Supporters' Shield quest continues tonight for Suarez, Messi. Lionel Messi and Rodrigo de Paul available off the bench. What we got is that Ustadi would be the keeper for the League's Cup quarterfinal. What a ball play-through. Here comes Jordi Alba! So here are the substitutions, Messi and de Paul, to come on together here to start the second half. Here's Paintsil. Paintsil finds another gear. Still Joseph Paintsil. His shot from the sharp angle. That's fought off by Ustadi. Raised here in the Miami area. This is Messi. Lionel Messi plays that through for Suarez. Suarez, his shot, fought off by Micevic. Out for a Miami corner. Messi's good enough without giving him that much time and space near the edge of the box. That was a lovely ball. He's down the line for Suarez and much time and space near the edge of the box. That was a lovely ball. Danilos has the goal for New York. In the meantime, de Paul works it across. Now Messi. Lionel Messi by Sadabria. Gets the shot away! Goal! That's number 19 on the year. He has the golden boot lead. Like a hot knife through butter. I think he'd had enough and he was like, right, let's get this game done. Let me do something a little bit special. Rodriguez across. De Paul. This ball finds Suarez. Luis Suarez says goodnight. It's his first goal from the run of play in 12 matches. And into Miami. Staring at three important points in the Shield race now. Luis Suarez with the all-important insurance goal. And it's the two substitutes that combine first de Paul and Messi. But, just watch the touch from Messi. It is incredible. He scores the first. This touch is... blows the final whistle.