Inter Miami's Lionel Messi pleased Tokyo fans on Wednesday in a friendly match that ended in a 4-3 penalty shootout loss to Vissel Kobe after the game ended goalless. It came days after his absence on the pitch in a recent Hong Kong friendly had angered fans there. He started on the bench in Inter Miami's pre-season game against J-League side Kobe, worrying 28,614 spectators at Tokyo's National Stadium, who chanted "Messi, Messi" in sporadic attempts to bring out the star, AFP reported.
Messi has chances but Vissel Kobe beats Inter Miami 4-3 on penalties in friendly naharnet.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from naharnet.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
After leaving fans disappointed in Hong Kong, Lionel Messi put in a 30-minute appearance in Tokyo on Wednesday in Inter Miami's latest exhibition match in Asia — although he still left some supporters wanting more. Messi came off the bench for the final half hour, energized his teammates and probably had the best chance of the match in the 80th with two point-blank shots that were both stopped by the Vissel Kobe defense. After a 0-0 draw in regulation, the match went to penalty kicks and Vissel won the shootout 4-3.