Messi scores twice for Inter Miami to win his forty sixth profession trophy —MLS Supporters Defend

Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez of Inter Miami CF have fun a purpose through the second half towards the Columbus Crew on October 2, 2024 in Columbus, Ohio.
| Photograph Credit score: Getty Pictures through AFP

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami have one other trophy, together with home-field benefit all through the Main League Soccer playoffs.

Messi scored twice within the ultimate minutes of the primary half, goalie Drake Callender stopped a penalty kick within the 84th minute and Inter Miami beat the defending MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew 3-2 on Wednesday (October 2, 2024) evening, wrapping up the Supporters Defend given yearly to the group with the most effective regular-season report.

It was Messi’s forty sixth main trophy gained for membership or nation, extending his report for probably the most by any males’s soccer participant in historical past. And it’s the second he has gained with Inter Miami, this Supporters Defend being added to the Leagues Cup trophy the Herons claimed shortly after Messi joined the membership in 2023.

“We knew this was a gaggle that might struggle for this,” Messi stated.

Luis Suarez additionally scored for Inter Miami, which is able to open a best-of-three first-round playoff collection within the ultimate weekend of October. If the group wins that collection, it might have the suitable to host each match it performs the remainder of the season — an Japanese Convention semifinal (scheduled for Nov. 23 or 24), the East ultimate (Nov. 30 or Dec. 1) and the MLS Cup ultimate on Dec. 7.

“We have now a pleasant alternative to go down in historical past … and now we take into consideration what’s coming,” Messi informed Apple TV after the match. “We have now an ideal benefit in that we play all of the video games at house, which was what we have been in search of. I feel that we’re very, very robust at house.”

Additionally nonetheless inside attain for Inter Miami: the most effective MLS regular-season mark ever. Wednesday’s win pushed Inter Miami’s report to 20-4-8 this season, giving it 68 factors. If the membership wins its ultimate two matches — Saturday at Toronto and Oct. 19 at house towards New England — it might end with 74 factors.

New England has the single-season factors report, ending with 73 in 2021.

Messi opened the scoring within the forty fifth minute, taking a protracted cross from Jordi Alba — his longtime teammate at Barcelona, the membership with which Messi gained 35 of his trophies — and splitting two defenders earlier than one way or the other getting the ball previous Columbus goalkeeper Patrick Schulte for a 1-0 lead.

And about 5 minutes into first-half stoppage time, Messi struck once more on a free kick from about 30 yards out. Schulte appeared fooled, and Messi squeezed the ball between the goalie and the close to submit for a 2-0 lead.

“Dominant,” Inter Miami coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino stated.

Diego Rossi scored within the first minute of the second half for Columbus to chop the lead in half, however it didn’t take lengthy for Inter Miami to revive the two-goal cushion. Nearly instantly after play resumed, Schulte was upended by one in all his personal defenders and Suarez despatched a header into an empty internet for a 3-1 edge.

Juan “Cucho” Hernández’s penalty kick within the 61st minute received Columbus inside 3-2. However as soon as once more, the momentum didn’t final for lengthy. Rudy Camacho was despatched off for his second yellow card within the 63rd minute, which means the Crew needed to play with 10 males the remainder of the best way.

Didn’t matter. Columbus nonetheless created some massive possibilities down the stretch.

A deflected ball within the 76th minute received throughout the field and onto the suitable foot of Mohamed Farsi — however his shot was blocked by Callender, who was completely positioned to guard the lead.

Then got here extra drama, when Inter Miami was referred to as for its second handball contained in the field — an automated penalty kick — of the second half. Hernández picked the left facet of the web, however Callender made the save look nearly simple.

That save helped end what Messi began.

It was the fifth two-goal sport of the MLS season for Messi, who now has 17 targets in 17 league matches this season. He’s missed 15 of Inter Miami’s MLS matches in 2024, both due to commitments to Argentina’s nationwide group or the two-month absence that he wanted to get well from a badly injured ankle — an damage that occurred throughout his nation’s run to the Copa America title in July.

Inter Miami, in MLS play this season, is now 10-1-6 with Messi within the lineup.

“All year long we had many, many accidents, the place we couldn’t all be collectively … however the group was getting probably the most out of each robust sport,” Messi stated.

The Crew and the LA Galaxy entered Wednesday nonetheless with a mathematical hope of passing Inter Miami within the race for the Supporters Defend, and Cincinnati was 9 factors again with 9 factors nonetheless potential.

However now, they’re all taking part in for second.

“December 7 is what we would like,” Martino stated, referring to the date of the MLS Cup ultimate. “However this isn’t insignificant immediately.”