PSG hammers Messi, Inter Miami to crush MLS’ last hope in Club World Cup

PSG toyed with Lionel Messi’s team. It had four goals in the first half before Miami had taken a shot. It had more than 70% possession in the first half before it scored two goals before halftime to kill any suspense.

“We deserved our win but it was perhaps harder than the first half suggests,” PSG manager Luis Enrique said.

As much as the announced attendance of 65,574 tried to will Miami back into the match with chants of “Messi, Messi,” it could barely connect more than three passes before a PSG player was there to intercept a pass or win a duel.

PSG advanced to play the winner of Flamengo vs. Bayern Munich, played later Sunday, at noon Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Sunday’s win by PSG should not have been surprising.

PSG demolished Inter Milan 5-0 to win the UEFA Champions League in Munich on May 31. The French champions, with a roster transfer market value of more than $1.1 billion, are a team filled with Designated Players, to borrow from the MLS roster rule that allows for only three of the high-priced players on each roster.

Even with Messi, the greatest player in the sport’s history, Miami’s transfer value is $77 million.

So when you are trying to compete with one leg tied behind your back against the world’s best club team, the result is what it is.

Inter Miami’s lineup was composed of Messi, Luis Suarez, Tadeo Allende, Federico Redondo, Telasco Segovia, Sergio Busquets, Maximiliano Falcon, Marcelo Weigandt, Jordi Alba (making his first start in the tournament), Noah Allen and goalkeeper Oscar Ustari.

PSG’s lineup was composed of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Desire Doue, Bradley Barcola, Joao Neves, Fabian Ruiz, Vitinha, Achraf Hakimi, Nuno Mendes, Willian Pacho and goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

PSG manager Luis Enrique was very familiar with most of Miami’s core players. He coached Messi, Suarez, Busquets and Alba, as well as Miami manager Javier Mascherano, at Barcelona from 2014-17, where it won the Champions League in 2014-15.

“Messi, Messi, Messi” from the supporters broke out in the fourth minute, just as Kvaratskhelia broke in on goal from the left and passed to Barcola, whose shot from 6 yards was saved.

No matter, PSG grabbed a 1-0 lead in the sixth minute when Neves, unmarked, headed in at the back post a free kick from Vitinha.

“When they scored a goal against us so early it’s very difficult,” Miami manager Javier Mascherano said. “It was just so easy the way it was scored.”

Miami couldn’t get the ball through the first 10 minutes, which is very different from its experience in MLS, where it is third in the league in possession (55.8%).

PSG had its second goal, another header at the back post — this time on the left — disallowed for offsides in the 15th minute.

Kvaratskhelia continued to torment Miami’s right side, consistently beating Weigandt to the touchline or cutting inside to hit curling shots.

By the 30th minute, PSG had six shots, three on goal. Miami had none.

PSG increased its lead to 2-0 in the 39th minute on another goal by Neves. Ruiz stole the ball from Busquets about 25 yards from Miami’s goal. Ruiz passed to Barcola, who passed it back to him as he made an overlapping run. He squared a pass to Neves, who was unmarked in front of goal.

PSG effectively ended the game in the final minutes before halftime.

Not that PSG needed help, but its lead went to 3-0 in the 44th minute because of own goal charged to Aviles, who couldn’t get out of the way of a cross from Doue.

Hakimi made it 4-0 just before halftime, pouncing on a loose ball in the box.

“The first half was kind of like a bloodbath,” Mascherano said. “Second part was a little bit slower and we were showing what we are doing in MLS.”

Miami’s first shot came from Messi near the top of the 18-yard box in the 51st minute. It was blocked out of bounds for a corner kick.

“Messi, Messi, Messi,” rang out in the 63rd minute, just in time to see him break in on the left and scuff a shot that was easily saved by Donnarumma. It was Miami’s first shot on goal.

Messi put a header on frame in the 80th minute, increasing Miami’s total to three shots on goal. It was pushed away by Donnarumma.

Messi and Miami’s last chance to save face came in the 88th minute with a free kick from 22 yards, just left of the center of the pitch. Anticipating Messi magic, journalists from around the world in the stadium’s press box and people throughout the stadium held up their cellphones to record the shot.

It was blocked by PSG’s wall.

With Sunday’s loss by Miami, MLS teams, which included LAFC and Seattle, finished the tournament 1-6-3 with a minus-12 goal difference.

Mascherano didn’t offer an answer when asked how teams in MLS can catch up to teams like PSG.

“People that are involved in MLS, they know better than me what they have to do to progress the league and be competitive,” he said.