{"id":1577,"date":"2025-11-09T05:47:48","date_gmt":"2025-11-09T05:47:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/?p=1577"},"modified":"2025-11-09T05:47:48","modified_gmt":"2025-11-09T05:47:48","slug":"messi-scores-two-goals-as-inter-miami-eliminate-nashville-in-playoffs-football-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/?p=1577","title":{"rendered":"Messi scores two goals as Inter Miami eliminate Nashville in playoffs | Football News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<p class=\"article__subhead\"><em>Star forward Lionel Messi and Inter Miami advanced to MLS Cup East semifinals with Game 3 playoff win over Nashville.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-dates\">\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Published On 9 Nov 2025<\/span><span aria-hidden=\"true\">9 Nov 2025<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-share\" data-testid=\"rich-share\">\n<div class=\"rich-share__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"rich-share__button-wrapper\"><button class=\"rich-share__button row\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><\/p>\n<p>Click here to share on social media<\/p>\n<p><svg class=\"icon icon--share2 icon--primary icon--16 \" viewbox=\"0 0 20 16\" version=\"1.1\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><title>share2<\/title><path fill=\"#000\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M11.688 9.048c-.659 0-1.252.282-1.673.733l-4.92-2.45c.016-.115.028-.232.028-.352 0-.117-.011-.23-.027-.343l4.913-2.423a2.285 2.285 0 0 0 1.68.739C12.964 4.952 14 3.899 14 2.6 14 1.302 12.965.25 11.688.25S9.377 1.302 9.377 2.601c0 .117.01.23.027.343L4.49 5.367a2.285 2.285 0 0 0-1.68-.739C1.536 4.628.5 5.681.5 6.979c0 1.299 1.035 2.35 2.312 2.35.659 0 1.252-.281 1.673-.731l4.92 2.45a2.357 2.357 0 0 0-.029.351c0 1.299 1.035 2.351 2.312 2.351S14 12.698 14 11.399s-1.035-2.35-2.312-2.35Z\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/p>\n<p class=\"rich-share__social-text\">Share<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\">\n<p>Lionel Messi scored two goals and assisted two more, and Inter Miami advanced in the MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time in club history with a 4-0 victory over visiting Nashville SC in Game 3 of their first-round series on Saturday night in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.<\/p>\n<p>Messi finished the best-of-three series with five goals and three assists, meaning he was involved in all eight tallies for third-seeded Miami. He has scored 15 times against sixth-seeded Nashville in all competitions, by far his most against any MLS opponent.<\/p>\n<section class=\"more-on\">\n<h2 class=\"more-on__heading\">Recommended Stories<!-- --> <\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list of 4 items<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p>By contrast, Messi has never scored against No 2 seed FC Cincinnati, which will host Inter Miami in a one-game Eastern Conference semifinal in two weeks.<\/p>\n<p>Tadeo Allende scored twice after halftime and had an assist as Miami won despite playing without key forward Luis Suarez, who served a one-game suspension for his kickout at Nashville SC\u2019s Andy Najar in Game 2.<\/p>\n<p>Nashville was eliminated in the first round in a third consecutive postseason appearance, having returned to the playoffs in the first full season coached by BJ Callaghan after missing the 2024 tournament.<\/p>\n<p>Messi put Miami in front in the 10th minute on the first clear chance for either side.<\/p>\n<p>Ian Fray\u2019s pressure forced Nashville\u2019s Matthew Corcoran into an ill-advised backward pass, which Allende deflected to Messi\u2019s feet, with time and space to surge forward.<\/p>\n<p>Messi did the rest, dribbling at retreating centre back Jack Maher before firing a low finish from about 20 yards (18 metres) out between goalkeeper Joe Willis and the right post.<\/p>\n<p>Then Walker Zimmerman\u2019s defensive error helped set up Messi\u2019s second in the 39th minute when he reached Jordi Alba\u2019s long, speculative ball down the left flank but failed to clear it.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, it fell to Mateo Silvetti, who alertly spotted Messi running into space and provided the square pass in stride for a much simpler second finish.<\/p>\n<p>Nashville thought it had pulled a goal back only seconds into the second half, only for apparent goal-scorer Sam Surridge to be whistled for a foul on Maxi Falcon.<\/p>\n<p>But eventually, Miami added insurance through Allende twice in the 73rd and 76th minutes.<\/p>\n<p>On the first, Messi and Alba combined on the left side of the box to set up Allende\u2019s low finish through traffic. On the second, it was Messi sending an early through ball, and Allende chipping past Willis on the run.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4093971\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4093971\" style=\"width:770px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-arc-image-770 wp-image-4093971\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AFP__20251109__83HC44E__v2__HighRes__FootballMlsPlayoffInterMiamiVsNashvilleSc-1762662193.jpg?w=770&amp;resize=770%2C513&amp;quality=80\" alt=\"Lionel Messi in action.\" fetchpriority=\"low\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4093971\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Messi, centre, scores his second goal against Nashville in the 39th minute [Chandan Khanna\/AFP]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Star forward Lionel Messi and Inter Miami advanced to MLS Cup East semifinals with Game 3 playoff win over Nashville. Published On 9 Nov 20259 Nov 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Lionel Messi scored two goals and assisted two more, and Inter Miami advanced in the MLS Cup Playoffs for [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1578,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1577","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-us-canada-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1577","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1577"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1577\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1578"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1577"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1577"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1577"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}