Lionel Messi may not have scored in his first Major League Soccer appearance in the Bay Area, but he still managed to steal the spotlight — this time for what happened after the final whistle.
Inter Miami’s 3-3 draw against the San Jose Earthquakes on Wednesday night ended with a dramatic confrontation between Messi and referee Joe Dickerson, as the Argentine star voiced his anger over a no-call in the dying moments of stoppage time.
Just under three minutes into added time, Messi was on a threatening run, cutting in from the right and pushing toward the center of the pitch. With a clear chance to either fire off a shot or set up teammate Tadeo Allende for a hat-trick opportunity, Messi was brought down just outside the box by Earthquakes centerback Daniel Munie. Messi immediately appealed for a foul, but Dickerson refused to blow the whistle, waving play on.
That decision didn’t sit well with Messi and he made sure the referee knew it as soon as the match ended. As the final whistle sounded, Messi approached Dickerson, visibly frustrated and vocal in his protest. Referee Dickerson was quick to respond with a stern warning: “I will send you off. Walk away right now.”
He pointed at the referee in disbelief, only to receive a yellow card issued after the match had officially concluded.Messi, clearly incensed, responded by mimicking the card gesture back at Dickerson in a mocking manner while greeting Earthquakes coach Bruce Arena nearby.
Messi ultimately walked away without further incident, avoiding a red card that would have ruled him out of Inter Miami’s highly anticipated rivalry clash against Orlando on Sunday.
San Jose Earthquakes frustate Inter Miami
Tadeo Allende scored twice as Inter Miami played out a six-goal draw with San Jose Earthquakes on Wednesday night in Lionel Messi’s first game in the Bay Area since joining MLS. Following the draw Inter Miami currently sits fourth in the Eastern Conference with 21 points from 11 matches, while San Jose is seventh in the Western Conference with 16 points from 12 games.
