Argentine football star Lionel Messi scored his 10th and 11th goals of the season, and also had an assist, as Inter Miami defeated Cincinnati 5-3 away from home in the early hours of May 15 (Vietnam time).
The win lifted Inter Miami (7 wins, 2 draws, 4 losses, 25 points) to their fifth straight away win in Major League Soccer (MLS) and seventh consecutive victory across all competitions.
Mateo Silvetti equalized 3-3 for Miami in the 79th minute after a combination with Messi. Five minutes later, German Berterame made it 4-3 from a pass off Messi's free kick, capitalizing on a mistake by Cincinnati goalkeeper Roman Celentano and defender Andrei Chirila. Messi nearly completed a hat-trick in the 89th minute, but his effort was ruled an own goal by Celentano.
Messi opened the scoring in the 24th minute after a blunder by center-back Matt Miazga, and leveled 2-2 in the 55th minute with a technical finish following a pass from Rodrigo de Paul. De Paul registered two assists in the match.
Kevin Denkey scored his eighth goal and recorded two assists for Cincinnati (4 wins, 5 draws, 4 losses, 16 points). Evander netted his seventh with a sparkling strike in the 64th minute. Pavel Bucha also scored for the hosts, who ended a six-match unbeaten run.
