Lionel Messi Scores as Inter Miami Beat D.C. United 2-1 Before D.C. United's Record Home Crowd of 72,026

D.C. United borrowed an NFL stadium, packed it with 72,026 people and got the full Lionel Messi experience. Unfortunately for the hosts, that experience included Messi ghosting behind their back line and scoring.

Inter Miami CF beat D.C. United 2-1 on Saturday afternoon at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, with Rodrigo De Paul and Messi scoring 10 minutes apart in the first half. Tai Baribo pulled one back in the 75th minute, but Miami held on to move to 2-0-1 with six points. D.C. fell to 1-0-2 with three points. According to D.C. United, the crowd was the largest home attendance in club history, breaking a record of 57,431 that dated to the 1997 MLS Cup at RFK Stadium.

Two Quick Punches From the Defending Champs

The AP noted the match was moved to Baltimore instead of D.C. United's smaller home in Washington, and the stage was set for a statement. D.C. head coach René Weiler made two changes from the 1-0 loss at Austin FC, bringing in Gabriel Pirani and Jackson Hopkins, and the hosts were not shy early. Hopkins drew a save from Dayne St. Clair with a shot from distance in the 16th minute.

Miami scored on the very next play worth talking about. In the 17th minute, De Paul took a Telasco Segovia pass on the right side of the box and whipped a right-footed shot into the top left corner. Ten minutes later it was 2-0. Mateo Silvetti slid a through ball behind the D.C. defense, Messi ran onto it on the left side of the box and needed just one touch to beat Sean Johnson, according to the AP. The AP said it was the 899th goal of his career. ESPN's data shows it was his third league goal of the season, after the two he scored against Orlando City the previous weekend.

D.C. kept swinging. Between the 31st and 34th minutes, Lucas Bartlett and Silvan Hefti had shots blocked while Keisuke Kurokawa and Hopkins missed the target from outside the box. Messi nearly made it three in the 38th minute with a left-footed shot from distance that slid just wide. D.C. United's recap noted the home side actually outshot Miami 6-5 in the first half, which is the soccer version of winning the time of possession and losing by two touchdowns.

Baltimore Gets Loud

The second half belonged to D.C., at least on the stat sheet. Weiler threw on Louis Munteanu and Nikola Markovic in the 61st minute, and the pressure built. Munteanu shot wide in the 64th and headed just over in the 69th, the same minute Hopkins had a header blocked.

The breakthrough came in the 75th minute. D.C. United said the move started with a bad Miami pass, and the hosts broke down the right. Hopkins forced a save from St. Clair, and the rebound fell to Baribo, who finished from very close range with his left foot. The 72,026 fans finally got the goal they came for.

Miami leaned on their possession game from there, which worked even if it did not thrill anyone. Germán Berterame's header off a De Paul cross was saved by Johnson in the 84th minute. D.C.'s last real look came four minutes into stoppage time, when Kye Rowles headed a Munteanu cross wide after a corner.

Star Power

Lionel Messi scored on one of his two shots and nearly added another before halftime. Even on a day when he was not at his busiest, one clean run was enough.

Rodrigo De Paul was Miami's most active attacker, with four shots, two on target and the opening goal. He also delivered the cross for Berterame's late header and was fouled four times.

Mateo Silvetti and Telasco Segovia each picked up an assist, the playmaking support act for the headliners.

Jackson Hopkins led D.C. with five shots, two on target, and his shot created the rebound for Baribo's goal.

Tai Baribo scored with his only shot. D.C. United said it was his second goal of the season, after he scored in the opening win over Philadelphia.

Louis Munteanu added three shots off the bench and nearly equalized with his header in the 69th minute.

The Turning Point

The 27th minute. D.C. had started brightly and were very much in the game at 1-0. One Silvetti pass and one Messi touch later, they needed two goals against a team that can keep the ball for long stretches. Baribo's goal proves how close the hosts came, and that is exactly why the second Miami goal mattered so much.

Stats That Matter

• Possession: Inter Miami had 64.5 percent of the ball.
• Passes: Miami completed 595 of 683. D.C. completed 288 of 356.
• Shots: D.C. took 15 to Miami's 7, but Miami put 4 on target to D.C.'s 3.
• Corners: D.C. won 8, Miami 1.
• Saves: Johnson and St. Clair made two apiece.

What It Means

Miami have won two straight after opening with a 3-0 loss at LAFC, and all three of their league games have come on the road. Head coach Javier Mascherano said the schedule is already a factor. "Playing every three or four days is a big drain, especially in this first part of the season where we've had to play away games all the time," he said, per the AP. He also refused to rank his priorities. "I think it would be a big mistake to choose which competitions to focus on," Mascherano said. Next up is a trip to Nashville on Wednesday for Miami's first game in the Concacaf Champions Cup, where the AP said Messi could become only the second men's player, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, to reach 900 career goals.

D.C. are 1-0-2 after back-to-back losses by a single goal. The record crowd will live on in club history, but the points went south on I-95. D.C. United visit Chicago Fire FC on March 14.

The Last Word

St. Clair summed up the strange vibe of a road game that felt like a home game. "It's definitely nice to be able to go to away stadiums and know that you probably have more supporters than the actual home team," he told the AP. That is life on the Messi World Tour: every stop is a sellout, and the opponents are mostly just the opening act.

Stats from ESPN's match data. Additional details from the AP and DCUnited.com. Postgame quotes as reported by the AP.