Foxborough, Nov 2 (IANS) Lionel Messi delivered a stunning assist and late goal to rally Inter Miami past the New England Revolution, 2-1, and clinch a spot in next year’s Concacaf Champions Cup.
The win also elevated Miami into the driver’s seat for the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 seed ahead of the MLS Cup Playoffs. And it left Messi with 26 goals and 16 assists on the season, putting him in pole position for a historic third straight MLS MVP award and second consecutive golden boot.
An even first 45 minutes saw the sides go into the half scoreless. Inter Miami’s best chance of the half came in the 28th minute through Berterame, with a left-footed shot from the Mexican international from the left end of the box being saved by New England goalkeeper Matt Turner.
The second half then saw the hosts open the scoring in the 53rd minute through a goal from Daniel Gazdag.
Inter Miami equalised in the 69th through a superb team play. Segovia delivered a lobbed pass into the box, where Messi headed the ball back for Berterame to strike with a thumping header from the centre of the box. The goal marked Berterame’s 10th this regular season, while the assist was Messi’s 16th this league campaign.
Inter Miami turned the scoring around in the 83rd minute, with Messi netting the winner after another fantastic passing sequence. Suarez played a ball to Messi in a central position outside the box, where the Argentine maestro made his way past three defenders before combining with Segovia to break into the box and finding the back of the net with a grounded hit to the bottom-right corner.
The goal took Messi’s tally to 26 as he extended his lead in the race for the 2026 MLS Golden Boot, while Segovia reached 12 assists this regular season. The 1-2 scoreline then held through the final whistle for Inter Miami to pick up three points on the road.
–IANS
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