For the first time ever, Inter Miami have advanced past the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs.
Inter Miami advanced past the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs for the first time since joining MLS in 2020, beating Nashville SC 4–0 on Saturday night to win the best-of-three series.opened the series with a 3–1 win over Nashville, before dropping the second 2–1 on the road, as Lionel Messi opened the scoring in the 10th minute with slick dribbling leading to a shot from the top of the box.
He doubled theThe Herons extended their lead late, with Messi and Alba picking up assists, as they created a tap-in chance for Tadeo Allende’s 3–0 goal. Moments later, Allende broke through on a Messi through-ball and chipped Nashville goalkeeper Joe Willis to make it 4–0. With the win, Miami avoided a similar disaster to last season when the star-studded group lost the first round series to No. 9-seed,Now, Inter Miami will visit FC Cincinnati in a single-knockout match in the Eastern Conference semifinal on either Nov. 22 or 23, after the MLS Cup playoffs take a break for the international window.Inter Miami Player Ratings vs. Nashville SC : Ríos Novo didn’t face a shot until just past the 50th minute, but did not have much work to do on a dominant night for the home side.: The center back had some worrying moments early, but was able to bounce back and helped the Herons keep a clean sheet.: Just like he has his entire career, Alba linked up with Messi and picked up an assist ensuring he will play at least one more professional match.: Taking on more attacking responsibility due to the absence of Luis Suárez, Allende finished the night with two goals, including a stunning chipped effort.Joe Willis; Andy Najar, Walker Zimmerman, Jack Maher, Josh Bauer; Patrick Yazbek, Edvard Tagseth, Matthew Corcoran; Hany Mukhtar, Sam Surridge, Alex MuylInter Miami 4–0 Nashville SC –– How it Unfolded at Chase StadiumInter Miami left no questions in their win over Nashville SC on Saturday night, closing out the best-of-three series with a dominant 4–0 win on their home pitch. Once again, Lionel Messi played a critical role in their success. The Argentine started the game with an extra pep in his step and scored the opening goal after dribbling past several defenders, unleashing a perfectly placed shot to beat Joe Willis from the top of the box.Throughout the night, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner continued to threaten. Miami extended their lead in the 39th minute, sending a ball over the top which eluded a clearing attempt from Nashville center back Walker Zimmerman. The ball fell to Miami’s Mateo Silvetti who, without hesitation, set up Messi for the latter’s brace. While Nashville had a few moments in the first half, they were unable to test Miami goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo. Their best opportunity came in the 15th minute when former MLS MVP Hany Mukhtar sent a free-kick attempt wide of the goal. Looking to stage a comeback, Nashville picked up their pace in the second half, as winger Jacob Shaffelburg entered the match and forced Miami center backs Noah Allen and Maxi Falcón into some worrying moments. Yet, it wasn’t enough to get the Tennessee side back into the match before things quickly fell apart.Already leading by a convincing margin, Miami picked up a third goal from a quick exchange between Messi and Alba, which ended with Tadeo Allende passing the ball into a gaping goal in the 73rd minute. Moments after, Messi sent a perfectly weighted pass to Allende, who finished with a chipped goal from well outside the box to seal the victory.With their first series victory secured, Miami now look to take down a highly-skilled FC Cincinnati side in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Should they win that single knockout match, they would be just two wins away from lifting MLS Cup.Ben Steiner is an American-Canadian journalist who brings in-depth experience, having covered the North American national teams, MLS, CPL, NWSL, NSL and Liga MX for prominent outlets, including MLSsoccer.com, CBC Sports, and OneSoccer.
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