April 20, 2024 – Major League Soccer (MLS)
Inter Miami CF News Release
Inter Miami CF (5W-2L-3D, 18 points) earned a 3-1 win at home tonight over Nashville SC to carry the team’s positive momentum forward this regular season. Midfielder Sergio Busquets’ first goal for the Club and a brace by captain Lionel Messi led the team to the win on the night at Chase Stadium in front of a Club-record home crowd.
Lineup Notes
Inter Miami lined up with Drake Callender in goal; Marcelo Weigandt, Tomás Avilés, Nicolás Freire and Franco Negri made up a back line of four in defense; Julian Gressel, Busquets and David Ruiz started in midfield; Messi and Diego Gómez flanked striker Luis Suárez in attack.
Match Action
The match kicked off with the visitors opening the scoring early on, with Nashville taking an early lead through an own goal after a corner kick in the second minute of action.
Inter Miami, however, would respond shortly after with a goal of its own to tie the scoring. In the 11th minute, following an initial attempt inside the box from Messi that was denied by the keeper, Suárez assisted the Argentine maestro on the left side of the box, allowing him to send the ball to the back of the net to equalize. The goal was Messi’s sixth goal this regular season and eighth across all competitions to match Suárez’s numbers as the team’s leading scorer, while the assist was the fourth for Suárez this regular season.
The hosts would then turn the proceedings around and take control of the match after scoring a second goal in the 39th minute. A ball from Messi into the box from a corner kick found Busquets at the near post for the midfielder to head the ball to the back of the net and give Inter Miami a 2-1 lead. The goal was Busquets’ first since joining the Club, while the assists was the sixth for Messi this regular season and eighth across all competitions as he continues to be the team’s top provider. Additionally, the assist also saw Messi make MLS history, as he became the first player in league history to record multiple goal contributions in five out of six games at the start of a season.
The scoreline then held throughout the final minutes of the first half and the majority of the second 45 minutes presented an even matchup, but there was more to come from the hosts. In the 80th minute substitute Leo Afonso was brought down inside the box and a penalty was called for Inter Miami. Messi then calmly slotted the ball to the back of the net in the 81st minute to…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at OurSports Central Major League Soccer MLS News…