Messi double fires Inter Miami in MLS Cup playoff lead against Nashville SC

Argentina guardant Lionel Messi celebrates his caller declaration with Inter Miami by scoring doubly successful triumph against Nashville SC.

Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi scored doubly to assistance Inter Miami to a 3-1 triumph implicit Nashville SC successful the opening crippled of their MLS Cup circular 1 playoff series.

Tadeo Allende besides scored for Inter, who took a 1-0 pb connected Friday nighttime successful the best-of-three series, with crippled 2 successful Nashville connected November 1.

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Eight-time Ballon d’Or victor Messi was presented with the Golden Boot grant earlier the crippled aft topping the regular-season scoring illustration with 29 goals successful 28 games.

He wasted nary clip successful demonstrating however helium earned it, putting Miami up 1-0 with a diving header disconnected a walk from Luis Suarez successful the 19th minute.

Sergio Busquets had gained power of the shot adjacent the sideline and passed to Rodrigo De Paul.

De Paul recovered a charging Messi, who handed disconnected to Suarez connected the close and pressed guardant to link erstwhile Suarez fed it back.

Allende’s header from a walk by Ian Fray enactment Miami up 2-0 successful the 62nd minute.

“We cognize that playoffs are tough, truthful we wanted to commencement with a triumph astatine home,” De Paul said. “Hopefully, this is conscionable the beginning. The squad did precise good contiguous successful presumption of intensity, focus, knowing the moments erstwhile to onslaught and erstwhile to defend.

“We showed that we are increasing arsenic a team, and that’s the astir important thing.”

Messi made definite of the triumph 9 minutes into second-half wounded clip erstwhile Nashville keeper Joe Willis leapt guardant to halt a shot from Jordi Alba connected the near helping but failed to corral it, leaving Messi to slot home.

That meant Hany Mukhtar’s onslaught successful the 11th and last infinitesimal of stoppage clip was thing but model dressing.

The triumph comes a time aft Messi inked a three-year declaration extension that volition support the 38-year-old successful Florida done 2028.

That was euphony to the ears of MLS commissioner Don Garber, who was connected manus to contiguous Messi’s Golden Boot award.

“I don’t deliberation we ever could person imagined that Leo would person been capable to present for this club, for this metropolis and for this league the mode helium had,” Garber said.

“He has reset the trajectory for Major League Soccer and we were already doing beauteous well. And I deliberation having 3 much years is conscionable going to beryllium different gift.”

De Paul said helium was blessed for Messi – and blessed to person the all-time large connected his team.

“We spot him each weekend, it’s an advantage,” helium said. “We person to support enjoying him. I’m precise blessed astir the renewal due to the fact that it means we’ll beryllium unneurotic for a fewer much years, truthful I’m precise pleased.”

Mascherano, whose broadside is chasing a archetypal MLS Cup title, said Inter can’t spend to easiness up, adjacent though they person present beaten Nashville successful 2 consecutive games, including an emphatic 5-2 triumph successful the regular-season finale.

“Nashville has a benignant and mode of playing that tin origin a batch of harm … We made galore adjustments compared to the erstwhile match, but it won’t beryllium enough,” Mascherano said. “We person to support improving.”