Lionel Messi is DOMINATING the MLS Right Now

DePaul leaves for Messi. Messi to Silvetti. Silvetti across. Messi's header is in! The two Rosario boys combine again. Mateo Silva! In this conference semifinal. Uyende with the turn. Evander not as much, but this is promising. And Silvetti! Out of this starting 11 anytime soon. But not the clear-cut ones that are often in transition. Now you've got Messi defending 25 yards from his own goal. Oh, what a ball to Uyende, who is in! Uyende for his final! It's in pink for Messi so far. What a night for Miami. Oh my goodness. Uyende's onside. Uyende's in. Adebe chasing. Uyende pulls him off! Plastic! From it to the Eastern Conference Final. Masterclass from Javier Mascherano. Mascherano sees it otherwise. Now a bounce is right to Messi. Here he comes. Messi! The Nashville know all too well. You can't give him a chance. He'll always take the chance. He'll always take the moment. Lionel Messi gives Inter Miami the lead. Ten minutes in. Nashville have been unable to threaten for any meaningful possession. As Zimmerman misses it. Silvetti leaves it. Messi puts it in! A pair of Rosario boys. A new Newell's old boy to an old Newell's old boy, you could say. It was quite a memorable one, wasn't it? He scored twice in the early stages of the playoff game three win. Here comes Messi after the takeaway. Kerwin shot! Now Messi! A then strike. Inter Miami, greatest there's ever been. Messi. Oh no. Released from him and he scores! Messi again against Nashville. Miami. Oh my goodness. Naive defending at its best. Up to this point, Nashville's been. Messi out to Suarez. Suarez back to Messi! Just lethal. Uses his head this time. And Inter Miami take the lead in game three. Joe Willis ruminating about how does this happen? How does this consistently happen? Another goal contribution for Lionel Messi against Nashville and maybe another. Allende for two! Gets to Cincinnati. Inter Miami will advance to the conference semifinal for the first time in club history. Dominant tonight. It's 4-0. And the man of the hour, Messi. Lionel Messi, service long off the left foot. Taken here by Alba. Jordi Alba! Special night. Blast from Jordi Alba. What a player. Rear. Enjoy him while you can. It's brilliant. Messi to Alba or Alba to Messi. And it's a wonderful run from Messi because he can see. Gone. And then just picks his spot. Curling that ball far close side net with a great finish. And the other end! Wuschka! Have good things! ...for a matter of 10 seconds and call it a double for Taddeo Allende as he turns his goal tally all the way up to 11. Well, incompetent decision making at the end of the first half meant that the New England Revolution went into the halftime breakdown too. Tried to find Messi, but just that little bit off. Found though by Wuschka to the end behind. Here's Balthazar Rodriguez. Rodriguez! If you don't take your chances against Miami, they will make you pay. Busquets to Messi to Balthazar Rodriguez for his second of the season as Miami take the lead on the stroke of halftime. Well, two passes and then the back of the net, but it all starts with the positioning of Busquets. We've already mentioned how good he has been in those central areas. This time reads it so well. Into the minimum five minutes of added time. Backheel. Suarez leaving. Messi! 4-4 on Salvation! Segovia! Two! Enter Miami! iPhones out. Record this. Don't forget this. And savor this. Scoreline says all enter Miami. The momentum is enter Miami's. Alba over the top. Here's Messi. Flag stays down. Leonel Messi! Oh my! His second of the night. 26 on the season. And it's a fourth spot on the board on fan appreciation night. Messi settling and keeping control. Messi! 2023 League's Cup Final. Those were the two lineups presented by AT&T. Connecting changes everything. Tag sent and the foul went anyway. You know, it's a little thing, but when you've trained all week long with Palacios as your center back, as a right center back and Zimmerman as a left center back. Allende or rather Rodriguez did really well to win that. Oh, it's another nutmeg for Messi to tag set this type of counts. Oh, Messi's had the double tonight. Two goals and two nutmegs on tag set. Just so clever. At all times, he's aware of where everyone is. 360 degrees. DePaul, Busquets, Suarez combine so well to get it to Messi, who carries forward, accelerates away from tag set. Around Yazbek. Messi still. These little touches just breathtaking at the pace. Look at how many Nashville defenders. Track down, Messi now on the left. Cooper Sanchez. Get ahead. They have to open up and they leave themselves even more vulnerable defensively, and we know the defensive side is the Achilles heel of this team. Messi. Magical stuff for Segovia. Messi shakes the challenge of Sands, puts it on the button for DePaul. Started eight of nine. The 22 year old Segovia, who started so many games for Miami for most of the season, relegated to the bench. Messi again draws a foul. Corcoran disagrees with the call. Can Miami take advantage? Bright. Right in from distance, deflected. Here comes Messi. Oh, magic. Alba! The Sweden race lighting up Chase Stadium. And they do get the solid defensive effort and they get their second goal. And Leo Messi. 40 goal contributions. But what in the world are the New England Revolution doing defensively right there? Alba. Hit it heavy. Beautiful control by Messi. It's opened the door for Taddeo Ascende. Good first touch. And yes! A perfect 10 goals on the season for Ascende. New England may have taken their eye off the ball for a minute and they paid for it. One saddle in turn. Well, it wasn't lost on us. The trifecta, the spearhead of what Inter-Miami is in the attacking phase of play, includes the 26-year-old on loan from Salta de Vigo. Allende, a constant minute, a constant threat. That are leaving himself in bad positions or even his teammates in spots. And oftentimes when you're going through that spell, it's better to be safer than sorry. Bright takes it away. Now Jordi Alba coming forward. Jordi Alba! This time it's Messi to Alba. And this time it's Miami opening the scoring. 1-0. Well, and a product of having an aggressive fullback pick up positions further up the field is when you lose possession in this manner. Now you've left yourself open. Cosa Rienzi further up the field. Christian Roldan loses possession and he loses possession because Yannick Wright steps into the midfield and he steps right into the path. Made the right substitutions. Bright coming in, he'll help control the midfield. Busquets, great idea to Messi. Messi for two. Messi! Listen to that roar. Messi wants more from Busquets and Messi could only score. 2-0 to Miami. New York City, all out of sorts. But it's the defensive work from Miami that's been the difference tonight. Well, kept in play. Messi, on he goes. Messi! Into Miami, now Messi at the double as he was on Saturday. Miami look a threat for top of the East and the supporter shield on this kind of form. Jordy Alba, Miami trying to eliminate any doubt about who's going to win game one. Willis, oh it's right there for Messi. It's a brace for Lionel Messi. It's three for Miami and they're going to lead this series one game to zero. It's been that kind of night. Over to Messi, broken up. Now Messi settles into fray. Back to Messi! Decision day! For the second straight season, Lionel Messi has scored three goals on the final game of the regular season.