Messi heads to Philly for Leagues Cup semi. Union coach: “Don’t sell your tickets”

Lionel Messi’s traveling Inter Miami circus is headed to Philadelphia Tuesday for the Leagues Cup semifinals, and Philadelphia Union coach Jim Curtin is asking fans for a favor to ensure a home-field advantage:

“Please don’t sell your tickets no matter how much money they’re offering for them, please,” Curtin said in his post-game remarks after the Union edged Mexican team Querataro 2-1 in the quarterfinals Friday. “We know that we’re going to have a packed Subaru Park. It’s going to be the number one ticket in the city, for sure. I’m sure some celebrities will be out here in Philly, so I’m excited for it.”

Fans in the Philadelphia area are about to experience the Messi Mania that has taken over DRV PNK Stadium on home game days, and was evident at Toyota Stadium in Dallas last week, where thousands of fans showed up for the game against FC Dallas wearing Argentina No. 10 Messi jerseys.

A giant throng of Messi fans, eager to catch a glimpse of their idol, lined up along metal barricades in the DRV PNK Stadium parking lot two hours before kickoff of Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup quarterfinal against Charlotte FC Friday night.

It has become a pregame ritual since the Argentine star joined Miami in July. Fans line the parking lot perimeter, scream “Messi! Messi!” and take photos of bus windows as a charter bus delivers Messi and his teammates a few hundred yards from the training facility into a secure stadium entrance.

They wanted more Messi Magic, and they got it. Messi scored his eighth goal in five games and Inter Miami advanced to the semifinals with a 4-0 victory over Charlotte.

Josef Martinez and Robert Taylor gave Inter Miami a 2-0 first-half lead, an Adilson Malanda own goal widened the gap, and then, in the 86^th minute, Messi gave the near-sellout crowd of 20,368 the goal they were waiting for. The Argentine was left open at close range and Leo Campana found him for the assist.

Before Messi joined the team, Inter Miami had scored 22 goals in 22 games. Since his arrival, Miami has scored 17 goals in five games.

“It’s just our luck that we have to play them three times,” said Charlotte coach Christian Lattanzo. “This Miami team is completely transformed. You bring in three players who were starters of a (Barcelona) team that has been defined by many as maybe the greatest ever. What do you do? When you have Messi, who just needs one chance, one second, you have to be always very sharp to stop him from producing the magic that he has always produced since he went to Barcelona when he was 16.”

Philadelphia coach Curtin is looking forward to the challenge.

“We look forward to hosting the greatest player in the history of the sport in our building,” Curtin said. “I think it will definitely be the loudest Subaru Park will ever be. It’s a great matchup and if we play like we did (Friday), we’ll be in big trouble. We’re talking about the best player of all time coming here in the semifinal with a trophy on the line, a spot in the Champions League on the line. So it’s a big game. I know our fans are gonna show up.”

The addition of Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, who played together at Barcelona, has elevated the play of the entire Miami squad.

“The reality is, in addition to our collective effort, we are here in large part because of what Leo has offered us in these last five games,” Martino said. “Not just what he gives, but what he generates in the rest of the players. He generates great confidence in his teammates who play alongside him. It’s difficult to understand how a player that takes the ball at 40 or 50 meters from the opposing goal can create scoring chances when there’s an entire other team in front of him.

“His teammates feel that, too, so they give him good options with passes, especially from deep, so he can make the decision for the next play. Off the field, too. He is a leader at training, in games, and away from the field. He has made a profound impact on this team.”

Key Biscayne teenager Benjamin Cremaschi returned to the Miami starting lineup after scoring a go-ahead goal and the decisive game-winning penalty kick against Dallas last Sunday. Cremaschi had started 13 games in a row before the Dallas game, but coach Tata Martino opted to go with recently signed Paraguayan midfielder Diego Gomez on that night.

Friday, it was Gomez on the bench and Cremaschi in the Starting XI along with Messi, Taylor, Martinez, Arroyo, Busquets, Yedlin, Jordi Alba, Serhiy Kryvtsov, Kamal Miller, and Drake Callender.

Martinez was replaced by Campana in the 60^th minute. Ten minutes later, Taylor and Cremaschi went out and Gomez and David Ruiz went in.

Heading into the game Friday, Martino expressed concern about Miami’s defensive lapses in previous games, adding that Miami was “not a reliable team” despite its 4-0 Cup record. He said he was also disappointed in Miami’s defense on set pieces. All five opposing goals in Martino’s first four games with Inter Miami came as a result of corner kicks or free kicks.

But on Friday night, the Miami defense stepped up. Miller, Yedlin, Alba and Kryvstov kept Charlotte at bay all night. Sixteen minutes in, Miami was dominating possession 78 percent to 22 percent. At halftime, it was 65 percent to 35 percent.

When the final whistle blew, Busquets sprinted over to Callender to congratulate him for his strong play in the net.

“Attacking and defending depends on all the players, not just defenders, and I felt we did better as a team today,” Martino said. “We controlled the ball more. There was only one clear chance from the opponent where we left a striker unmarked.”

Miami and Charlotte were scheduled to resume the MLS regular season at DRV PNK Stadium on Aug. 20, but that game was postponed to a date to be determined because the Leagues Cup final and third-place games are Aug. 19 and either Miami or Charlotte were guaranteed to play that date.