05/04/24 09:35:00
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05/04 21:18 CDT Messi has a record-setting game with a goal and 5 assists in
Inter Miami's 6-2 win over Red Bulls
Messi has a record-setting game with a goal and 5 assists in Inter Miami's 6-2
win over Red Bulls
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) --- Lionel Messi had a record setting night for
Inter Miami.
He scored a goal and had five assists as Inter Miami trounced the New York Red
Bulls 6-2 on Saturday night --- with the Argentine great and eight-time Ballon
d'Or winner as the game's best player setting no fewer than three Major League
Soccer records in the effort.
The six goal contributions, five assists and five assists in a half were all
MLS records.
Messi, who earned the MLS Player of the Month Award for April, has now scored
and assisted in six consecutive league matches.
Luis Surez had three goals and Matias Rojas scored twice as Inter Miami got
six unanswered goals to come back from a 1-0 deficit at halftime. Messi and
Surez now have a league-leading 10 goals each, helping keep Inter Miami
(7-2-3, 24 points) atop the Eastern Conference.
The win extended Miami's unbeaten string to six. The streak began after a 4-0
loss at New York on April 20, in which Messi did not play because of an injury.
Miami began the rout with Rojas' equalizer in the 48th minute. Messi centered a
pass to Rojas whose left-footed shot landed under the crossbar.
Surez then fed a charging Messi with a touch pass to beat New York goalkeeper
Carlos Coronel with a shot from 15 yards.
Rojas made it 3-1 with his second goal in the 62nd minute on an assist from
Messi.
Messi then contributed on former Barcelona teammate Surez's first goal in the
69th minute.
Surez also struck in the 75th and 81st minutes before the Red Bulls (4-2-5, 17
points) closed the scoring on Emil Forsberg's penalty kick in stoppage time.
New York controlled possession early and eventually capitalized on a Miami
defensive breakdown that resulted on Dante Vanzeir's goal in the 30th minute.
Jos Carmona ran deep into the right wing of the large area and blasted a shot
that bounced off the far post. An unmarked Vanzeir retrieved the deflection and
converted from 15 yards.
Messi had his only scoring opportunity of the first half in the 24th minute,
when Coronel stopped his shot from the edge of the penalty area.
Messi's former Barcelona teammate Jordi Alba missed his third straight game
because of a hamstring injury.
Both clubs will continue MLS play next Saturday. Inter Miami will visit CF
Montreal while the Red Bulls will host New England.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
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