Messi's 'magic'

On the morning of July 20th, Messi scored two goals and provided an assist to help Inter Miami defeat hosts New York Red Bulls 5-1 in Round 24 of MLS.

On New York Red Bulls' home court, Inter Miami started slowly and conceded the first goal after a silly mistake by goalkeeper Rocco Novo Rios in the 15th minute.

An undeserved goal conceded served as a wake-up call for Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba, Luis Suarez, and Sergio Busquets. The quartet, who once dominated Europe, played at the highest level to help Inter Miami stage a spectacular comeback. Messi was the standout performer, contributing to four of the five goals.

Messi has proven his superior class in MLS.

In the 24th minute, Messi's through ball tore apart the New York Red Bulls' defense, creating an opportunity for Alba to score from a tight angle. Three minutes later, the Argentina captain again left the home defenders helpless with a delicate chip. Alba was at the far post before passing the ball back to Telasco Segovia, who finished from close range to give Inter Miami a 2-1 lead.

Before the first half ended, Segovia extended the visitors' lead to two goals with a skillful shot from outside the penalty area.

In the second half, New York Red Bulls pushed forward but were unable to reduce the deficit, ultimately paying the price with a fourth goal conceded in the 60th minute. From a precise through ball from Busquets in his own half, Messi broke free, used a feint to deceive the goalkeeper, and finished into an empty net.

"El Pulga's" sublime performance didn't stop there. In the 75th minute, he controlled a pass from Luis Suarez with his chest before unleashing a powerful shot that found the back of the net for New York Red Bulls' fifth goal.

Messi scored his sixth brace in his last seven games, further enhancing his impressive personal record in the MLS this season with 18 goals and 7 assists in just 18 appearances. Meanwhile, Inter Miami still have a chance to defend their Eastern Conference title with 41 points, 8 points behind league leaders Philadelphia Union but with three games in hand.

Source: https://znews.vn/ma-thuat-cua-messi-post1570063.html