"Can't be a starter at Inter Miami", "Will cost this team" - Fans call out Lionel Messi's teammate despite penalties win over Club America

Inter Miami fans on X have criticized Lionel Messi's teammate Marcelo Weigandt after he had a poor performance during their pre-season friendly win over reigning Liga MX champions Club America. The Herons sealed a 3-2 penalty shootout win after the game ended 2-2 in normal time at the Allegiant Stadium (Saturday, January 18).

Lionel Messi and Co. struggled defensively in the first half with Club America taking advantage of Weigandt and Tomas Alives' poor defending to take the lead via Henry Martin (31'). Messi headed home three minutes to level the scores following Luis Suarez's cross.

Inter Miami goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo made a costly error in the 53rd minute following a collision with Federico Redondo. This led to Israel Reyes taking full advantage to give his side the lead. However, Alives proved to be the hero in the second minute of stoppage time, scoring a header to take the game to penalties.

The Herons held their nerve to secure a narrow 3-2 win during the penalty shoot-out. Despite this, fans were unimpressed by Weigandt's performance. The 25-year-old right-back missed a penalty, won zero tackles, made no interception, and lost three duels. He also made just 29 touches during the entire game, the least of any player on the pitch.

One Inter Miami fan posted:

"Sorry but I’ll say that again, Chelo weigandt can’t be a starter at Inter Miami"

Another fan tweeted:

"Weigandt will cost this team a lot"

Other fans reacted below:

"Bro cant run, cant defend and he cant even shot a penalty," one fan commented.

"One of the worst players I’ve ever seen in football," another added.

"Bench, nahhh, he needs to join Thiago in un 16," 0ne fan tweeted, referencing Lionel Messi's son.

"He’s so bad man forget this penalty. Just his overall play such a liability both ends," another chimed in.

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How did Lionel Messi fare for Inter Miami during their win over Club America?

Javier Mascherano started his Inter Miami tenure on a winning note as the Herons secured a 3-2 penalty shoot-out victory over Mexican outfit Club America. Let's take a look at how Lionel Messi performed.

Lionel Messi started up front alongside Luis Suarez, playing the first 66 minutes. The duo linked up well in the 34th minute, with the Argentine ace scoring a delightful header following Suarez's cross.

However, apart from his goal, Messi didn't have the best of games. The 37-year-old completed 24 passes from an attempted 33 (73 percent accuracy), created zero chances, delivered zero crosses from an attempted five, and landed one shot from three attempts.

The Herons next face Club Universitario de Deportes on January 29.

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Disclaimer: The above stats were taken from FotMob on January 19 at 8 PM IST. They are subject to change.