Messi's Magic Continues as Inter Miami Defeats Nashville 2-1 in Historic Performance
Lionel Messi netted a brace for the fifth consecutive match, as Inter Miami maintained their perfect run with a fifth straight victory, defeating Nashville SC 2-1 on Saturday evening.
Making their return to Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale for the first time since their late May triumph over Columbus Crew, Miami secured all three points in a clash between two of MLS's hottest teams.
The victory also brought Nashville's impressive 12-game undefeated run in league competition to an end, while propelling Miami higher in the Eastern Conference table, despite still having up to three matches in hand over several teams positioned above them.
Following a balanced start to the encounter, Messi broke the deadlock with a free-kick strike in the 17th minute, before Nashville's Hany Mukhtar leveled the score at 1-1 shortly after halftime, converting a delivery from MLS All-Star defender Andy Najar.
Though both teams found it difficult to generate clear-cut opportunities, Messi claimed his second goal and what proved to be the match-winner in the 62nd minute, capitalizing on a costly error from Nashville keeper Joe Willis.
Having sealed the victory, Miami can now focus on their packed fixture list ahead, with their next encounter scheduled for July 16 against FC Cincinnati, as they work to catch up on their MLS commitments before the Leagues Cup begins.
Below are the individual player assessments from Saturday's contest.
Inter Miami Player Ratings vs. Nashville SC
Player ratings provided by FotMob
Players | Ratings (Out of 10) |
|---|---|
GK: Oscar Ustari | 7.9 |
LB: Jordi Alba | 7.2 |
CB: David Martinez | 7.6 |
CB: Maxi Falcón | 6.6 |
RB: Marcelo Weigandt | 7.7 |
LM: Telasco Segovia | 6.3 |
CM: Sergio Busquets | 7.6 |
CM: Benjamin Cremaschi | 7.5 |
RM: Tadeo Allende | 6.9 |
ST: Luis Suárez | 6.6 |
ST: Lionel Messi | 9.2 |
SUB: Batlasar Ridriguez (63' for Segovia) | 6.8 |
SUB: Federico Redondo (63' for Allende) | 5.6 |
SUB: Tomas Aviles (82' for Suárez) | N/A |
SUB: Ryan Sailor (90' for Weigandt) | N/A |
Nashville SC Player Ratings vs. Inter Miami
Player ratings provided by FotMob
Players | Ratings (Out of 10) |
|---|---|
GK: Joe Willis | 5.0 |
LB: Daniel Lovitz | 6.5 |
CB: Jeisson Palacios | 6.2 |
CB: Jack Maher | 6.4 |
RB: Andy Najar | 7.5 |
LM: Patrick Yazbek | 6.5 |
CM: Edvard Tagseth | 6.4 |
RM: Hany Mukhtar | 7.2 |
LW: Jacob Shaffelburg | 6.4 |
ST: Sam Surridge | 6.4 |
RW: Ahmed Qasem | 6.0 |
SUB: Alex Muyl (54' for Shaffelburg) | 6.6 |
SUB: Gaston Brugman (64' for Yazbek) | 6.3 |
SUB: Walker Zimmerman (64' for Palacios) | 6.3 |
SUB: Matthew Corcoran (78' for Tagseth) | 6.4 |
SUB: Julian Gaines (78' for Qasem) | 6.3 |