Lionel Messi and Inter Miami put collectively the very best common season within the historical past of Major League Soccer.
Messi scored three targets and an help within the second half alone, Luis Suárez scored a pair of first-half targets and Inter Miami beat the New England Revolution 6-2 on Saturday evening, ending the season with an MLS-record 74 factors, one in additional than the Revolution. had in 2021.
With a league file of 22-4-8, Inter Miami completed the season with a .765 successful share for one more MLS file. There have been 4 groups – DC United (24-8) and LA Galaxy (24-8) in 1998, LAFC (21-4-9) in 2019 and New England (22-5-7) in 2021 – which have completed an MLS season with a .750 successful share, which was first place till Saturday evening.
Now, first place goes to Inter Miami in any case, each when it comes to factors and greatest win-loss rating. Inter Miami additionally grew to become the eighth crew in MLS historical past to undergo an everyday season with simply 4 defeats, tying one other file.
Messi – who performed about 35 minutes and nonetheless scored three targets on Saturday – completed the common season with 20 targets and 16 assists in 19 video games.
Suarez reached 20 targets in his first season in MLS, his targets – about 3 minutes aside – serving to Inter Miami erase an early 2-0 deficit.
Luca Langoni and Dylan Borrero had the targets for New England.
The remainder of the sport was all Miami.
Suarez scores a double introduced the hosts degree at half-time and Benja Cremaschi scored the go-ahead aim within the 58th minute for Inter Miami. Messi offered an help on Cremaschi’s aim, which got here seconds after the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner was introduced into the sport.
There had been some doubts about whether or not Messi would play, particularly since Inter Miami had already clinched the Supporters’ Shield and the No. 1 seed within the MLS Cup playoffs. On Saturday, solely the file was at stake for Inter Miami.
And there was a scare within the 74th minute when Messi was fouled, screamed in ache and grabbed his proper ankle whereas on the bottom. He missed 15 Inter Miami MLS matches in 2024, because of commitments with the Argentina nationwide crew or the 2 months of absence he wanted to recuperate from a critical ankle damage – a injury this occurred throughout his nation’s run to the Copa America title in July.
It was simply scary.
Messi scored about two minutes into the second half, turning a 3-2 lead right into a 5-2 rout and it was solely a matter of time earlier than the file belonged to Inter Miami. And the ultimate blow got here within the 89th minute, with Suarez throwing the ball to Messi for a simple aim that accomplished the hat-trick.
Next up for Inter Miami: Game 1 of the best-of-three first-round sequence, at house Friday evening. It would be the first house playoff sport within the membership’s historical past.
Associated Press reporting.
(Want nice tales delivered proper to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, comply with leagues, groups and gamers to obtain a customized e-newsletter every day.)
Get extra from the MLS Follow your favorites to get data on video games, information and extra
