An uneventful stalemate against El Salvador in an official friendly on March 16 marked the beginning of Lionel Messi and Inter Miami’s rigorous 2024 preseason program. This encounter, which featured Messi with Uruguayan Luis Suarez, Barcelona alumnus Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba, drew tens of thousands of spectators to Cuscatlan Stadium. The El Salvador national football team vs. Inter Miami chronology will be covered in this article.
Timetable
On Friday, the El Salvador national football team and Inter Miami will play at San Salvador Estadio Cuscatlan Stadium in a match that is expected to generate a lot of attention. Miami’s first preseason game of seven, which also includes trips to Saudi Arabia and Japan, is expected to draw fans from both teams.
The matchup with the national football team of El Salvador offers MLS teams a perfect opportunity to build momentum ahead of the 2024 season. Additionally, it helps Herons get a feel for Central American conditions as they are ready to play in the CONCACAF Champions Cup for the first time next season. Messi and his former Barcelona colleagues Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba helped them qualify by winning their first Leagues Cup.
Inter will have a great opportunity to show themselves in their matchup with the El Salvador national football team, but they will have some obstacles. They will not only be playing against a seasoned El Salvadorian team, but they will also be playing at a stadium that has to undergo extensive renovations; previous security issues at this stadium have not yet been resolved, and it is unclear what would happen if there are any more.
The main attraction in this game will be Lionel Messi, who will try to establish himself right away at his new team, the Miami Herons. Messi may score his first goal for Miami, which would be a lucky start to his career with the Herons, but he needs to be cautious since El Salvador attackers are a serious danger.
By winning this game and demonstrating their supremacy over opposing teams, the Herons will want to build on their strong draw against Guatemala and continue their preparations for the 2021 Gold Cup, where they intend to establish themselves as the best side in their area.
Getting ready
At Estadio Cuscatlan, Inter Miami will play the national team of El Salvador on Friday to begin their preseason. Since Lionel Messi joined Inter in 2024, the team has grown astronomically under his leadership, taking home the Leagues Cup as their first big championship. Additionally, Inter now intends to participate in this year’s CONCACAF Champions Cup.
Despite playing a 78th-ranked nation, Inter could have an advantage because to its group of seasoned players, which includes Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez, Brazilian midfielder Marcelo, Messi, and his old Barcelona colleagues.
Nor is El Salvador a soft target. Veteran full-back Bryan Tamacas, who has 63 international caps, is the captain of their national side. Nelson Bonilla is the best scorer with 19 goals in 56 games.
Inter is unquestionably the favourite, but both clubs will have a lot to show on the pitch. Early in the game, Inter’s players may take the lead and put their opponents in a difficult position; this might lead to an easy win for Inter.
The players at Inter will be excited to start the season in a big way. trying to impress their new manager Gerardo “Tata” Martino and get over their rust after missing almost a month of competitive play.
Tata will probably start his match with younger players for experience as well as former Barcelona comrades and pals Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba. Not surprisingly, though, Herons need to strengthen their defence because they gave up 12 goals in their last two friendlies; they need to significantly reduce this figure if they want to make the playoffs this year.
First matchday
Lionel Messi made his debut with his new colleagues as Inter Miami got ready to start the 2024 season with a friendly match against El Salvador at Estadio Cuscatlan on Friday night, capping up their lengthy preseason trip. They will travel 23,000 miles to play seven matches in Dallas, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, and Japan over the course of the next three weeks!
Before and during the game, fans had a chance to experience El Salvadorian culture in addition to seeing Inter Miami players in action. Before the game, Inter Miami was greeted by club president Nayib Bukele, who met with the players and had them pose for pictures before they arrived in San Salvador City in brand-new buses decorated in their team colours, to a warm reception from the supporters.
This game finished in a scoreless tie despite having a lineup full of elite players. El Salvador’s tenacious defence held Inter Miami at bay despite their possession; the visitors produced many scoring opportunities, including a shot by Jordi Alba that goalie Mario Gonzalez stopped.
Throughout the second half, El Salvador’s defence maintained its dominance, preventing many crosses from left wingers and restricting Inter Miami’s opportunities to sporadic breakaways. As part of his winning strategy, Inter Miami’s Gerardo Martino made sure to rest Messi, Luis Suarez, and Busquets.
Although certain important players, including Alex Roldan and Eric Zavaleta, will stay with their Major League Soccer teams, the team should be better rested for its last tour match against El Salvador on Saturday in Tokyo. Nevertheless, given El Salvador hasn’t lost in a competitive game since November 2018, this game should serve as a crucial indicator of preparedness for the 2024 campaign.
Matchday 2
On Friday, Inter Miami CF will play El Salvador to start their 2024 preseason tour at Estadio Cuscatlan Stadium. Just two weeks after being on sale, Inter, who is presently ranked 78th in FIFA and includes former Barcelona players Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, has already sold out of season tickets for their upcoming campaign.
Their first clash will take place on April 15 at the Estadio Cuscatlan stadium, which can accommodate 45,000 fans. Former USMNT great and National Soccer Hall of Famer Hugo Perez is in charge of his team, while Inter has hired seasoned coach David Doniga to guide them.
The starting lineup for Inter includes Messi and Suarez up front, an Argentine maestro who turned Inter into its first Leagues Cup champion last season; CJ dos Santos, Tomas Aviles, DeAndre Yedlin, and Julian Gressel on defence; and Noah Allen, Jordi Alba, Benjamin Cremaschi, and Gregore in midfield.
Ruben de la Barrera, a Spanish manager with a wealth of club coaching experience, is presently leading El Salvador’s national side. In addition to participating in the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup and Nations League events, El Salvador secured two draws in recent friendlies against Curacao.
Many former members of the national team, including goalie Jose Aguilar and defenders Xoven Correa and Fernando Gonzalez, who all helped the country get to the Copa America 2015 quarterfinals before losing to Costa Rica and Guatemala, will be making their comebacks in this game. At this year’s Copa America event, which starts in June and features many of the best teams in the world, they want to build on that success. They are also preparing for World Cup qualifying, which starts in March and includes games against Haiti and Jamaica.
