Ticket prices have soared on the secondšÆšŖary market.
Security measures are being ramped up like nevš er before.
Red Bull Arena in Harrāison, N.J., for once, will be a centerpiece of the sāporting landscape this weekend.
Messi Mania has arrived anšd the buzz certainly is palpable, but the most pertinent question is how much international superstar Lionel Messi actually will plšay Saturday night against the Red Bulls in his first MLS appearance in the tri-state area with his surging new side, Inter Miami.
The 36-year-old legend has led Miami to eight consecutive Ü«victories ā netting 10 goals ā since šhis transfer from Paris Saint-Germain in July, leading David Beckhamās club to a championship trophy in the Leagues Cup last weekend plus a spot in the U.S. Open Cup Finals in late September.
The laātter berth was secured with a comeback victory in penalty kicks Wednesday night over FC Cinšcinnati, with Messi playing all 120 minutes, assisting on both Miami goals and converting his PK.
That workload, however, prompted Miami manager Gerardo “Tata” Martino to admit afterward that Saturday nightās resumption of regular-season action might be used akin to a load-management situation for Messi, who could start or come off the bench against the Red Bulls.Ā
āOur preparation is solely focused around what we want to do. If that includes the best player in the world, š maybe of all time, then we have a plan for tš hat, or if heās not included in the starting 11,ā first-year Red Bulls head coach Troy Lesesne said. āWeāre going to focus on us and how we want to go about the way we want to play this match.ā
Martino said they haven’t made a decision yet if Messi will play for sure.
“We will assess further after this evening’s training,” Martino said Friday. “It is inevitable that we will not have him at some point.”
Of course, mostly everyone else will be focused on Messi, who was photographed alongside tennis superstar Novak Djokovic ā in town for the start of the U.S. Open next week ā on Tź©²hursday night in New York.
Saturdayās visit marks the first of a dozen remaining regular-season matches for Messi and Miami, which is looking to move out of lastš place in the Eastern Conference and make a late push for a postseason berth. They were 5-14-3 in regular-season play before the tournament shutdown ā allš before Messi arrived ā and remain 14 points out of a playoff position.
Though Lesesne also called Messi āan outlier of a player,ā heās more concerned about his own teamās playoff chances, entering three points šÆoutside the postšseason cutoff with 10 matches to play.
āWhat heās done for the league is ź¦incredible, and what heāāØs done for the game is incredible,ā Lesesne said.
āI would say itās a huge challenge, number one. But this isš an extremely important match for us, and the number one reason is that we want to better our position and try to get into the playoffį©į©į©į©į©į©ā¤ā¤ā¤ā¤į©ā¤ā¤ā¤ā¤į©ā¤ā¤ā¤ā¤į©š±į©į©į©s.
āClearly, itās also an important match because of whoās playing. Not only Messi. … Thereās a lot of good players on their team.ā
Indeed, Miami added a few other international transfers this summer, including former Barcelona stars Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets. Regardless of how much Messiš» is on the pitch, it should makāe for an electric atmosphere in the sold-out stadium.
āThereās two ways I look at it. Definitely a dream come true. [Messi] was onše of the fiā¤rst players I looked up to,ā said Red Bulls midfielder Daniel Edelman, a 20-year-old New Jersey native. āThe other side is heā[s another guy on the field. I just want to try and stop him and treat him as any other player in the league.
āBut of course, itās Messi, the best of all time. We hāave to try and stop him any way possible when he gets ź§on the field. We canāt look at it any other way.ā