When Inter Miami needed him most, Lionel Messi stepped up to lead his team to the CONCACAF Champions Cup and put them in pole position to finish second in Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference.
Miami headed to the New England Revolution, who started in second place in the East on Sunday night, with both goals hanging by a thread, but a 2-1 win put them in control of their own destiny thanks to a goal and an assist from the Argentine maestro.
Continental qualification is assured while a win against Charlotte FC next weekend would see them finish second to Nashville.
Results elsewhere meant the Revs also qualified for the Champions Cup, but it was a night of mixed emotions for the home side, who started well and took the lead through Daniel Gazdag early in the second half.
Miami’s season was on the brink, but Messi then took center stage.
He set up Daniel Berteram to equalize after 69 minutes and then scored twice on the edge of the area before slotting home the winner with a low, left-footed drive past home goalkeeper Matt Turner with seven minutes to go.
We needed to win – Miami manager Gonzalez
“It makes me very happy for the players and the club, we are on the side of contributing,” said Miami boss Kily Gonzalez. “We are a club that is constantly developing, I have players who are committed to us. We needed to win and we tested ourselves what kind of team we want to be.
“We knew we were going to come up against an opponent who was trying to find duels in their high defensive areas, so the possibility of changes was depth, looking for gaps and one-on-ones. We struggled in possession, it was very passive at times. My message to the players is that I need everyone. In this situation, we believed that some changes were necessary.
“That doesn’t mean it’s a team that’s going to start the playoffs. Everybody shows me they want to play.”
He is the best – Gonzalez applauds the beautiful Messi
Messi’s 26th goal in the league this season and he also has 16 assists.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that he’s the best,” Gonzalez said. “With respect to his teammates, no one can compare to him. At his age, Leo deserves the MVP and the Ballon d’Or from my point of view. I hope he can get it.”