The old ones are definitely doing very well. Just a few hours after Cristiano Ronaldo’s spectacular acrobatic return in the Saudi championships, Lionel Messi in turn shone brightly on Sunday during the clash against Cincinnati in the Eastern Conference semi-final.
Because if Inter Miami won 4-0 and thus won its ticket to the first conference final in its history, it owes it to its playmaker, author of the first goal of the match in the 19e minute thanks to a dive header then decisive passer on the other three Florida goals.
After serving Mateo Silvetti shortly before the hour mark, the former Barcelona player twice served Tadeo Allende, author of a double in just over ten minutes (62e74e). Enough to allow David Beckham’s franchise to qualify in style.
A new record for Lionel Messi
In the conference final, Miami will face New York City, defeater of Philadelphia, the best team in the East during the regular season. A result which is good for the Florida franchise which will indeed have the advantage of receiving the New Yorkers. In the west, Vancouver, which beat Los Angeles FC on penalties (2-2, 4 tab to 3), will face the winner of the semi-final between San Diego and Minnesota.
With now six goals and six assists, Lionel Messi has already become the most decisive player during a playoff campaign, surpassing former American striker Ante Razov (10), and has also crossed the mark of 1,300 career goals and assists (896 goals and 404 assists).
Finally, note that Luis Suarez started the match on the bench, having to settle for coming on at the start of the last quarter of an hour. “I don’t like to point the finger at any one player, especially on a night like this where I think in the end it’s the team that comes out stronger, the team as a whole, explained Javier Mascherano. And when I talk about the team, I’m talking about all the players, not just the starting eleven. Of course, for me, it’s not an easy decision to have to replace a player like Luis, with his record, with the importance he has for the team and the club. But I also have to say that the way he handled the situation is admirable, because we talked about it during the week, he understood, he supported his teammates, he trained as best he could, he was always very supportive. »
