CHESTER, Pa. -- The points were shared as Lionel Messi registered a goal and an assist in a 2-2 draw against the Philadelphia Union in a game that ended in chaos, as Cavan Sullivan and Yannick Bright were both red-carded, as these teams are incapable of playing normal soccer. When they last played, 10 goals were scored between the two teams, and this was another game of entertaining soccer for a multitude of reasons, and it's a moment to step back and cherish what we see when Messi comes to town.

When he plays, it's always must-see soccer, and it's been like that for two decades. From the moment that you realize that he's coming to then trying to purchase tickets, you soon realize that they're at least three to four times more than an average game (a friend was able to sell their tickets for $250 a pop when they cost $80 at face value). Then, when you make it to the stadium, around a sea of Messi shirts, the smell of delicious barbecue wafts around you. It's a scene like no other and an event like no other to see the greatest player to ever do it.

Even upon entering the stadium, while numbers have dwindled from when the Argentine entered the league, it's clear who the people came to see in Chester.

But at 39 years old, all the pomp does make one wonder how much more of the Messi show we'll have in our backyards. The Union did their best to contain it, but as a mix of cheers and boos came out when Messi touched the ball on Wednesday, he was able to lay a beautiful cross off to Luis Suarez, who played it onto Daniel Pinter before putting the Herons ahead in the 26th minute with the same cutover goal that you've seen him score hundreds of times.

"It's scary when Messi gets the ball in one-versus-one situations, but the guys stood up to that and had good recovery runs to make sure that wasn't left for long," Union interim manager Ryan Richter said. "They did a really good job at that. Of course, he gets the goal; I don't know how he gets it out of his feet to find the finish, but that's why he's the greatest player ever because he doesn't need space to find a goal."

But what's so impressive is that no matter how many times Messi registers a goal contribution, it doesn't get old. The walking around the pitch to conserve energy and seek out his spots to make a defense pay doesn't get annoying because you know that he'll eventually turn that into a heat-seeking missile going at goal. One doesn't score more than 900 career goals by accident, and no matter where he has gone, Messi has brought the magic. When he touches the ball, chants of "Messi, Messi, Messi" are drowned out by boos from the energetic Philadelphia crowd. It's a shift from a time when the entire crowd was here to see Messi, as teams are reclaiming their stadiums and giving the Herons tougher games in the process.

The issue this season is that his supporting cast hasn't kept up with him. Miami's 48 goals scored are the most by a long shot in the league, but their defense has also conceded a whopping 38 goals, helping put Nashville SC in the driver's seat for the Supporters' Shield this season. When you look at how many times 16-year-old Cavan Sullivan was able to flit past Inter Miami left-back Sergio Reguilon, you can see why the Herons added Casemiro as a defensive shield.

But for Miami, in a way, they're playing with very expensive house money. Messi has already led them to win the Leagues Cup in 2023, the Supporters' Shield in 2025, and the MLS Cup in 2025, all while being central to everything that they've done. And even now, while they aren't at their best, the Herons can compete due to what Messi brings to the table, but just like fans aren't ready for the day that the Argentine doesn't take the pitch again, neither are the club.

When Messi initially signed for Inter Miami, talented young players like Federico Redondo, Tomas Aviles, Facundo Farias, and Diego Gomez were all added to the squad. While all of those didn't work out, they did provide cover for when players like Sergio Busquets needed rest, allowing Miami to have a more expansive look as a team, and that hasn't been the case this season as the signings have trended older.

Of course, there's no need to maximize your window for winning, but one of the things that made earlier versions of Miami so scary was that they were Messi and his friends, plus plenty of talented young South Americans. When Messi decides to hang up his cleats, the ability to recruit those players also gets tougher, and the road to another player like Messi may have to wait five years until David Beckham dream of courting somebody like Kylian Mbappe.

With that, it feels like this season is a window closing, which also makes sense considering even their manager, Guillermo Hoyos, is only an interim manager to close things out. Then, the MLS Sprint Season (shortened campaign) will come before the shift to a European calendar in the fall of 2027. Maybe Messi will still be around for that, but if he's not, we have to enjoy what we have in him because there may never be another player like him again.

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