Club World Cup: Messi still has got it but needs help as Inter Miami draw with Al Ahly

Dubai: Fifa Club World Cup opener between Lionel Messi's Inter Miami and Al Ahly, African giants who can be labelled as the Real Madrid of the African continent when it comes to their success in the CAF Champions League, ended in a stalemate – but the game was entertaining.

It wasn't a boring affair as both keepers had to make many saves, especially the Miami keeper. However, an Argentine was named man of the match but it wasn't the one we expected. It was Miami's goalkeeper Oscar Ustari and not Messi. His stops and penalty save made for an action-packed 0-0 draw, as did the heroics of his opposite number, Mohamed El Shenawy, who saved a fantastic effort from Messi towards the end of the game.

The Messi effect

 The Messi effect clearly hasn't waned both on and off the pitch. We could see many fans in Miami 10 shirts at the Hard Rock Stadium. The final turnout was announced as more than 60,000, which is more than 90 per cent of the stadium's capacity. Al Ahly, for their part, brought the noise and the Egyptian fans made the atmosphere interesting.

Al Ahly's intensity exposed Miami's age

Al Ahly were the better team, playing with an intensity that made Miami and their veteran forward line look like they were playing in a retirement home. Luis Suárez has bulked up and his movement and intensity have dropped so much. Suárez was ineffective as a No 9. He could not beat the faster and more agile Al Ahly defenders, so he tried to be a provider instead, which also didn't work.

However, at nearly 38, Messi still has got it, but there is no energy around him – instead it's all slow. He needs runners to feed.

The Busquets-Messi connection has faded

Messi was omnipresent, but Busquets struggled to make a difference in his holding midfield role. It was another example of his steady decline as a top-flight footballer. During their prime in Barça shirts, Busquets was once connected telepathically to Messi in midfield. But it's not the same anymore. They both need pace, power, and runners along with them to be effective at this stage of their careers. I still believe with the right profiles around them, they can make a difference with their intelligence.

Second-half improvement

After a disjointed performance in the first 45 minutes, Miami regained composure and played much better in the second half. This match was so important for both teams since, in a group that includes Porto and Palmeiras, this was an opportunity for Miami to avoid feeling desperate for a victory against two much stronger opponents.

It was also a chance for Miami to make a positive impression in front of a global audience that remains intrigued by Messi's final years as a professional. MLS isn't watched frequently like other leagues around the world because of the timing issues.

The verdict

Messi needs help. He cannot carry this team on his own at this age. This is Mascherano's first job as a professional coach of a club, but this team's out-of-possession play is so bad. The modern game is all about finding balance between off-the-ball and on-the-ball play. Miami has veteran superstars but they don't have any balance. Their defence is weak. If not for Ustari's heroics, the African team would have embarrassed them. They will need the veteran keeper to keep saving them, or else Messi will have to wave his magic wand once again to keep them in the competition beyond the group stages.

— From code to kick-off: Gulf News’ Mohammed Shamsheer spends his weekdays in DevOps and weekends watching football — a proud Chelsea supporter through and through.