Inter Miami 6-2 New York Red Bulls
FORT LAUSERDALE, FL–Inter Miami continued their winning run by putting Red Bull to the sword in a mesmerizing display of attacking football led by captain Lionel Messi.
The Argentine scored one goal and assisted the other five as he continues to break records in the MLS.
But it was another slow start from Miami who were under pressure from the opening minute. Red Bull had a game plan to press high up the pitch and force their opponent to make mistakes, and it rattled their opponents.
With a lack of pace upfront for Miami, Red Bull was comfortable playing a high line, and it was the away side that had the better of the opening chances. Some solid defensive work from Miami kept them at bay but the Red Bull front three were giving the home fans cause for concern.
Indeed, Inter didn’t pose an attacking threat until the twelfth minute when Messi had his first look at goal as Red Bull continued to ask the questions. However, as the game progressed Miami continued to soak up the pressure while slowly starting to impose themselves and get a foothold on the match.
But just as in previous weeks, Miami conceded first and it was a well taken goal.
Just on the half-hour mark Emil Forsberg laid on an inviting ball for the onrushing Dante Vanzier and his strike found the net to open the scoring.
Red Bull were good value for their lead, but their work rate and endeavor weren’t matched with the same level of quality football. The goal seemed to wake Miami up and they continued to ramp up their attacking game and test the Red Bull defence.
What felt like the inevitable equalizer came at the beginning of the second half.
Messi was prowling around the penalty area with the ball at his feet and played in substitute Matias Rojas. The number seven took a couple of touches before unleashing an unstoppable shot from outside the penalty area to level the scoring.
Two minutes later Inter were ahead and Rojas was instrumental again. As he won possession in midfield, he found Luis Suarez on the edge of the area. The striker’s quick pass finds Messi who pounced to give his side the lead.
But Miami was far from done and it was another sublime pass from Messi that unlocked the Red Bull defense once again. It was a great run by Rojas and an even better finish with a sublime chip over Carlos Coronel.
Now Messi was in full flight, and he was almost teasing the Red Bull defence. He probed and prodded, looking for an opening from the right wing, his lofted ball through two defenders found Suarez and it was another goal.
It seemed effortless for Miami to score and at that point, you felt a little worried for Red Bull that it could get far worse. It did get worse for the away side as the Messi-inspired Miami continued to score at will.
They were at it again a few minutes later when Messi and Suarez combined perfectly to give the home fans exactly what they wanted to see. Only to repeat the process minutes later for Suarez to complete his hat trick from a tight angle on a spectacular night for Miami.
A late penalty for Red Bull couldn’t take the gloss off a special night for Inter Miami and their captain Messi who had a part to play in each of his side’s six goals.
Inter Miami CF
