Columbus Crew felt the touch of Lionel Messi. The in-form star scored a brace and set up three more goals for his teammates in addition to his record. The Argentine legend Kalyanei was instrumental in Columbus Crew’s 5-1 defeat to Inter Miami in a Major League Soccer match.
Messi scored a brace at home at Chase Stadium, surpassing Gonzalo Higuain’s record of 30 goals for Miami in the Major League Soccer regular season. He also scored the team’s remaining three goals by playing brilliantly throughout the match.
Messi showed a flash of magic in the thirteenth minute of the match at home. He suddenly rose high from near midfield in his own half and passed a perfect long-range pass to Tadeo Allende. The Argentine winger stunned Crew defenders and scored the ball into the net with a perfect right-footed shot without holding the ball inside the box.
Messi’s goal came two minutes later. Although it was a gift from the opposing goalkeeper. While clearing the ball, Crew goalkeeper Nicholas Hagen took a little longer. Then he quickly passed to Messi, who was in the face of the ball. Messi took the opportunity and lowered the ball with his chest and floated it high towards the goal. Goalkeeper Hagen could not even stop the ball from touching his hand. The ball went into the net with a drop from his hand.
Messi scored again in the 24th minute. Sergio Busquets raised a great ball high from his own half. Messi passed Crew’s offside trap and got the ball in a dangerous place. Miami captain scored his second goal by chipping it gently over the advancing goalkeeper. Miami took a 3-0 lead in 24 minutes. This was Messi’s tenth goal this season.
Crew showed signs of returning the excitement to the match by scoring a goal in the 58th minute after the break. However, Messi wanted to make the match his own! In the 64th minute, he played a great one-two and entered the box. He passed to Telasco Segovia. The Venezuelan star could have taken a shot on goal himself, but he gently pushed it to Suarez who was in the gap. The experienced forward did not make a mistake in taking advantage of the opportunity. An aesthetic team goal.
In the 89th minute, Messi made another great pass from his own half. He found the ball through many of the opponent’s footballers. The experienced winger quickly ran with the ball and passed the ball past the goalkeeper from outside the box and sent it into the net.
Miami rose to third in the Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer with 29 points from 16 matches after two consecutive wins. Philadelphia Union is at the top with 34 points from 17 matches, Cincinnati FC has 30 points from 17 matches.
