India, Nov. 30 -- It isn't the part of the game that is most immediately associated with Lionel Messi, but there is no question that there is a part of him that has a certain bite and aggression that is needed at the top level of football. It was at show again as he helped Inter Miami progress to the club's first appearance of the MLS Cup finals with a brutal 5-1 win against New York City FC.

Early on in the match, with Miami leading 1-0, there was a brief altercation in the middle of the pitch as players from both teams were involved in a spat over a rough tackle. Messi wasn't part of the main melee in the centre of the pitch as hordes of Miami and NYCFC, but did get caught up in exhanging extremely heated words with his Argentinian com...