Lionel Messi starts, Luis Suarez on bench for Inter Miami vs. New England Revolution

Lionel Messi starts for Inter Miami against New England Revolution, drawing record crowd. Suarez on bench, Campana returns from injury.

Lionel Messi graced the starting lineup for Inter Miami in their match against the New England Revolution, much to the delight of the massive crowd of 65,000 fans at Gillette Stadium. On the other hand, Luis Suarez found himself on the bench, making way for Leo Campana, who returned from injury, and Robert Taylor, who also made his comeback after being sidelined.

The rest of Miami's Starting XI included a strong lineup featuring Drake Callender, Sergio Busquets, Tomas Aviles, Nico Freire, Julian Gressel, Franco Negri, David Ruiz, and Chelo Weigandt. Suarez was joined on the bench by a talented group of players including CJ Dos Santos, Ryan Sailor, Noah Allen, Lawson Sunderland, Yannick Bright, Benjamin Cremaschi, Leo Afonso, and Matias Rojas, the Paraguayan midfielder who recently joined the team.

There were concerns about Messi and Suarez playing on artificial turf, but Inter Miami coach Tata Martino addressed these worries by confirming that all healthy players would be available for the match. Messi has previous experience playing on turf, as seen in his full 90-minute performance in Charlotte last season.

Revolution coach Caleb Porter labeled the match as "the biggest game in Boston soccer history" and anticipated Messi's presence on the field. Messi, a standout performer with seven goals and six assists in six games, has been instrumental in Miami's success this season. Despite his impressive stats, league leader Cristian Arango of Real Salt Lake holds a slight edge in goals scored.

Miami currently leads the Eastern Conference with 18 points and a 5-2-3 record, while the Revolution has struggled with a 1-6-1 start to the season. Messi's impact on the pitch has been undeniable, with a recent standout performance against Nashville where he scored two goals and provided an assist in a 3-1 victory. The stage is set for an exciting matchup between two contrasting teams as Messi continues to dazzle fans with his skill and leadership.

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