FORGET the scoreline – this was a knight to remember for Sir David Beckham.
Fresh from receiving his knighthood, Becks was back in Miami, nestled into the posh seats alongside Arsene Wenger as his Inter Miami side kicked off the brand-new Club World Cup at Hard Rock Stadium.
SHUTTERSTOCKLionel Messi and his Inter Miami team-mates drew a blank in their Club World Cup opener against Al Ahly[/caption]
ALAMYCo-owner David Beckham was all smiles before the match as he’d received a knighthood from King Charles just a few days earlier[/caption]
AFPThe new Sir was the centre of attention, with Roberto Baggi, Ronaldo Nazario, and FIFA president Gianni Infantino all embracing him[/caption]
REUTERSBeckham took in the 0-0 draw next to former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger[/caption]
When he started building an MLS franchise back in 2014, not even Beckham’s wildest dreams could’ve conjured this — his boys in pink, led by Lionel Messi, opening FIFA’s glitzy new global tournament on home turf.
But here they were, bathed in Florida humidity, facing Egyptian titans Al Ahly in what promised to be a baptism by fire.
On the face of it, drawing 0-0 didn’t have Becks jumping up for joy.
Yet it was a gritty point which proved his side might not be the pushovers many predicted, even if there will be sterner tests to come in the shape of Porto and Brazilian side Palmeiras.
The odds coming into last night’s clash weren’t great. Miami have been in freefall in MLS.
Al Ahly — 45-time Egyptian champions and backed by a deafening sea of red in the stands — were tipped to cruise. And they nearly did.
On 42 minutes, they won a penalty – which showcased the new-fangled ref-cam for the first time – but standout keeper Oscar Ustari guessed right and denied Trezeguet with a brilliant save.
It was a huge moment that kept Miami afloat.
ALAMYLionel Messi and Luis Suarez were anonymous for large parts of the game[/caption]
Messi was quiet early on, unusually subdued. Luis Suarez barely got a touch.
But the second half told a different story.
Messi came alive, brushing the post with a trademark free-kick and gradually seizing control.
The tempo lifted and the crowd responded.
Concerns over empty seats at the 65,000 capacity stadium were quickly erased — the place was almost at capacity and rocking with 60,927 taking it all in.
Al Ahly began to fade, drained by the heat and Miami’s late surge.
Sub Fafa Picault almost grabbed a late winner, another Messi curler grazed the bar in stoppage time before Egyptian keeper Mohamed El Shenawi pulled off an incredible save at the death from Maxi Falcon’s close-range header.
Becks, suit and booted, looked like he was kicking every ball in the stands, grimacing as he was beamed onto the big screen with the game in the balance.
But in the end, a draw for the MLS side and their superstar owner was a decent result.
FIFA boss Gianni Infantino would also have left Hard Rock Stadium a happy man.
Not only was the opening match a lively affair, there was no repeat of the nightmare scenes at last year’s Copa America final where Colombian and Argentina fans stormed into the stadium following lengthy delays to enter.
FIFA, thankfully, installed a ring of steel around the perimeter to keep everyone safe for the first match of the new 32-team tournament.
Miami boss Javier Mascherano said: “We knew we were up against a strong team.
The nerves and anxiety played a trick on us in the first half,.
“But we had our chances to win. The team left a very good impression.
“This is the path forward, playing like this, we can beat anyone.”
REUTERSInter Miami’s participation in the Club World Cup is a dream come true for co-owner David Beckham[/caption] Creator – [#item_custom_dc:creator]
