By Jon Arnold
Rodrigo De Paul wasted no time getting involved in his Inter Miami debut. Just 30 seconds into the club’s Leagues Cup opener against Atlas, De Paul picked off a pass and kept possession long enough to draw a foul.
Despite having arrived in South Florida only recently and never training with the full Inter Miami team, the former Atlético Madrid midfielder was eager to show that he could contribute right away.
He didn’t stop until the final whistle either, sending a ball from the center circle over the top for Lionel Messi in the 91st minute. Just when it looked like he may need to take a penalty in the shootout that would’ve taken place were the match still tied, he ended up celebrating a win after Marcelo Weigandt’s 96th minute goal that lifted Inter Miami to a 2-1 victory over Atlas.
“Incredibly, a month and a few days since he’d played his last match, he didn’t train with us and seeing him not just the performance but what he gave until the last minute speaks about what he is,” Inter Miami manager Javier Mascherano said of De Paul’s performance after the match. “We knew about all his energy and tried to simply tell him to be himself here, do the same thing, try to have us catch on to that uniqueness he has. I congratulate him on his debut and am really happy with the game he played.”
De Paul didn’t find the back of the net in spectacular fashion, but utilizing Leagues Cup for his first-ever match in an Inter Miami jersey brought back memories of the scenes two years ago when Messi made his debut. A late goal from Messi in the opening Leagues Cup match against Cruz Azul lifted the Herons to victory. Inter Miami went on to win the tournament.
While there have been rumors of De Paul arriving in Florida for some time, his quick debut came as something of a surprise. After all, he wasn’t on the initial Leagues Cup squad, only being added today. And even after becoming eligible, it felt like a risk for Mascherano to utilize a player who was yet to play with his teammates.
That may be discounting just how well De Paul knows Messi and a few other key players in the Inter Miami squad. He ended the night with 54 passes completed, the most of any player on the field, and only gave the ball away on four occasions. Eleven of those passes were entries into the final third, and he added a pair of clearances and eight recoveries to assist the club’s defensive efforts as well against the Liga MX squad.
It had been a long lay-off for De Paul, and he looked to be eager with anticipation to get back on the field and to start his career.
“The hope I have is to compete, to win titles, to play with the best player in the world, to write the pages of history in this club which is coming together to be great to have a huge history for a lot of people to follow this incredible club,” De Paul said upon arriving with Inter Miami. “I want to be part of this. I always like challenges, so I’m very happy.”
While the adaptation period to Leagues Cup and MLS league play after it is hardly over, it should get easier from here. Already, the 31-year-old is showing his understanding with teammates goes beyond his history with Messi. Not that it hurts to have dozens of matches played with the team’s top player, having won a world championship together with Argentina.
For now, the focus is on winning a different trophy together, helping Inter Miami back to the Leagues Cup knockout round with more positive results in what remains of Phase One and to once again win the trophy that Messi and Co. lifted in 2023. De Paul showed Wednesday that he’s ready and willing to help another title charge.
