Inter Miami move closer to the title with Messi’s magic

Inter Miami crushed Cincinnati 4–0 today in the MLS Conference Cup semifinal, with Messi involved in all four goals. He scored one himself and assisted the other three. Two of those goals were scored by Tadeo Allende, and the other by Mateo Silvetti.
 

With this victory, Miami advanced to next Saturday’s Eastern Conference final, where they will face New York City, who defeated the Philadelphia Union 1–0. If Miami win that match, they will reach the MLS Cup final for the first time.
 

In Ohio, Miami took the lead in the 19th minute through Messi’s goal. It was Miami’s only goal of the first half. In the second half, the visitors became even more aggressive. In the 57th minute, Silva scored with Messi’s assist.

In the 62nd and 74th minutes, Allende scored twice from Messi’s passes to seal Miami’s emphatic victory. Messi now has 404 career assists
.

Messi’s performance in this match was extraordinary. The Argentine superstar kept the crowd spellbound the entire time. Beyond his goal and assists, he created 8 chances 4 of which were major chances.
 

He took 3 shots, completed 2 successful dribbles, won all of his tackles, and delivered 7 passes into the final third. His crosses and long balls were also perfectly accurate. In total, Messi completed 41 accurate passes in the match.
 

After the match, Miami coach Javier Mascherano said, “I’m proud of the way the team played against a tough opponent on a tough pitch. The players showed what they’re capable of.”
 

Mascherano added, “It’s a great honor and privilege for me to coach not only Leo (Messi) but this entire team. We know what Messi can do he proves it every week. Today he worked incredibly hard off the ball as well, and with the ball at his feet, we already know what he’s capable of.”