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Lionel Messi scored a brace for Inter Miami as they came from a goal down to trounce New England Revolution 4-1 in their MLS meeting on Saturday (April 27). The Argentine great continued his fine form to help his side retain the top spot in the Eastern Conference with an inspiring performance.
Inter Miami were doubtful of whether they would be at full strength for their trip to face the New England Revolution, as quite a few of their stars were unsure of featuring. They had concerns regarding the playing surface at the Gillette Stadium, but all that was put to rest in the game.
In front of over 65,000 fans, the home side took the lead in the first minute, stunning the visitors. Argentine forward Tomas Chancalay opened the scoring with his first goal of the season, handing his side the advantage.
It took a good half-hour, but Lionel Messi delivered a fitting response for his side, drawing them level. The 36-year-old received a slide-rule pass from Finn Robert Taylor before calmly slotting his effort past the home side's goalkeeper for his eighth league goal of the season.
Inter Miami remained in the ascendancy but had to wait until the 68th minute for a second goal, which also came via the boot of Messi. Once again, the Argentine superstar darted beyond the last line to latch onto a brilliant pass from Sergio Busquets before deftly finding the back of the net.
Inter Miami had enough time to put an exclamation mark on the performance, with Benjamin Cremaschi scoring (83') his first of the season via a rebound after a Messi shot was blocked. With one minute left in the game, Messi found Luis Suarez, who found the top corner to seal the win for his side.
Lionel Messi makes history in Inter Miami win
Lionel Messi has continued to make history since his arrival in Miami, and he left another for the record books against the New England Revolution. The Argentine forward scored two goals and provided an assist for his side in their convincing win.
Messi became the first player in MLS history to record two or more goal contributions in five consecutive matches. The Inter Miami ace has shown no signs of slowing down since his return from injury (muscular) earlier this month.
Lionel Messi's MLS numbers this season read nine goals and four assists in seven appearances, one of which he played only 45 minutes. He also holds the record for the most goal contributions after the first seven games of the season in the MLS.
