Lionel Messi scored his ninth goal in six games as Inter Miami defeated Philadelphia Union 4-1, securing a spot in the Leagues Cup final on Tuesday.
Philadelphia, a team that reached the MLS Cup final last year and has been really strong when playing at their own stadium, seemed all set to give Miami their toughest challenge so far. This is especially true since Miami got the Argentinean striker on their team just a month ago.
However, Miami, the visiting team, once again began strongly as Josef Martinez swiftly scored just three minutes into the match, with Serhiy Kryvtsov providing the assist for his goal.
Messi found himself without any defenders around him just after crossing the middle line. He received a pass from Martinez and started moving ahead while controlling the ball. In the 20th minute of the match, he took a long shot from a distance that went past Union’s goalkeeper Andre Blake. Blake couldn’t respond quickly enough to stop the ball from rolling into the net.
Jordi Alba added to the Union’s discouragement by scoring a goal shortly before the first half ended, extending their lead to 3-0. This caused fans to express their disappointment by booing the home team as they made their way to the locker room.
Philadelphia managed to score a goal when Alejandro Bedoya found the net in the 73rd minute. However, Miami extended their lead with another goal from David Ruiz in the 84th minute. Miami’s impressive goal-scoring streak continued, as they have managed to score a total of 21 goals in their last six matches.
Miami is all set to compete in the Leagues Cup final on Saturday. This will mark Miami’s debut in a final match in the history of the club. Their opponent will be determined after the match between CF Monterrey and Nashville SC, taking place later on Tuesday.
This victory also signifies that Miami will participate in their inaugural CONCACAF Champions League in the coming year.