The return of Lionel Messi in official competition with Inter Miami promises to be under biting cold. This Wednesday, February 19, Florida's team will face Sporting Kansas City for the first leg of the knockout stages of the Concacaf Champions Cup, in a Children's Mercy Park transformed into a cold room. With temperatures expected around -15 ° C and gusts of wind lowering the thermal sensation at -28 ° C, the duel promises to be historic… and freezing.
An extreme cold, unexpected ally of Kansas City against Messi
While Inter Miami, accustomed to Florida's subtropical climate, will discover polar conditions, Sporting KC intends to use this advantage. “” The climate will be a key factor “recognized Javier Mascherano, the Inter coach, while confirming the presence of Messi: “His availability is 100 %. Leo will play ”. A reassuring declaration for fans, despite the initial rumors of a possible absence as a precaution.
Snow and tactical: a mined land for stars
With 70 % of snow probabilities and a violent wind, the match could become a survival fight. The precise passes of Messi, Busquets or Jordi Alba are likely to face a snowy and slippery terrain, benefiting the physical game of Kansas City. Suárez's teammates, unbeaten in preparation (5 games without defeat), will have to adapt quickly to avoid a fiasco.
Report and challenges: increased pressure
Initially scheduled for Tuesday, the match was postponed on Wednesday due to the accumulation of snow, a decision taken to “favor security”. This postponement adds additional pressure: the return match, scheduled for February 25 in Miami, will leave little time to recover in the event of a bad result.
While Kansas City is betting on its recent reinforcements (Dejan Jveljic, Manu García) to surprise, Inter Miami will have to transcend the conditions to avoid an frozen start in this champions cut. A challenge that lives up to the Messi legend, whose performance under the snow remains to be written …
