Lionel Messi is moving ever closer to the MLS Cup title with a fantastic performance that confirms that his level is still the absolute best. The No. 10 had one goal and three assists in a commanding 4-0 victory over FC Cincinnati, securing Inter Miami a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Inter Miami shines and gears up hard for match against Cincinnati
Inter Miami also helped Tadeo Allende score two goals, ending a three-year winning streak at TQL Stadium.
How many matches are left until Messi wins the title?
After winning this single-elimination match, Messi and Inter Miami will face New York City FC. Please note that these are single game rounds. We must win this match to advance to the title match.
This is the Eastern Conference Finals, a stage Inter Miami (a team from Florida) has never reached before. In this round, the higher seeded team will host the game. If the score is tied after 90 minutes, two 15-minute overtime periods will be played. If the scores are still tied, a penalty shootout will decide the ticket to the final.
In order for Messi and his team to become MLS champions, they need to win two games, the MLS Cup itself, against the winners of the Conference Finals and Western Conference Finals.
“I’m proud of how our team played on a very difficult field and against a very tough opponent,” Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano said through an interpreter. “I think from the first moment, it wasn’t about holding back. It was about chasing the game and being ourselves. I think the players played an almost perfect game today.”
Messi set a new MLS playoff record with 12 goal contributions with six goals and six assists. Meanwhile, Cincinnati won the Supporters’ Shield last year and entered the postseason with the second-best record in MLS behind Philadelphia. They narrowly fell short in last season’s conference finals, losing to the Columbus Crew.
