Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano praised Lionel Messi as “extraordinary” after the Argentine maestro guided the club to their first MLS Cup final with a commanding 5-1 victory over New York City FC on Saturday.
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A hat-trick from Tadeo Allende and goals from Mateo Silvetti and Telasco Segovia powered a resurgent Miami into next Saturday’s championship match, which will be played on home turf in Fort Lauderdale.
Although Messi did not score, the 38-year-old delivered a moment of brilliance with a decisive assist for Silvetti’s third goal — a strike that effectively ended New York’s hopes of a comeback.
“Leo has accustomed us to the extraordinary,” Mascherano said of his former Barcelona and Argentina teammate. “He’s someone extraordinary, someone we’ll never see again. Today we might be surprised he didn’t score, but he gave us peace of mind with that assist. He practically sealed the game.”
Miami now awaits the winner of the Western Conference final between San Diego FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps.
The Eastern Conference champions enter the final brimming with confidence following another dominant attacking display, coming just days after their 4-0 rout of FC Cincinnati.
Allende, who scored twice in the win over Cincinnati, again led the charge. The 26-year-old forward opened the scoring in the 14th minute by beating the offside trap, then doubled the lead with a superb header.
New York responded through Justin Haak’s 37th-minute header and nearly equalised in the 66th minute when Julian Fernandez forced a brilliant save from goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo. Miami immediately capitalised on that escape, launching a sweeping move that ended with Messi feeding Silvetti for a clinical finish.
Segovia added Miami’s fourth in the 83rd minute, and Allende completed his hat-trick a minute from time, triggering jubilant celebrations as Miami sealed one of the most important victories in their short history.
The result caps a remarkable turnaround for Miami, whose season once appeared in danger of collapse after a stretch of poor performances.
“The real credit goes to the players who embraced where we wanted to go,” Mascherano said. “We strengthened as a group and reached the end of the season with a brotherhood where everyone pulls together, and it doesn’t matter who starts. The power of a group is unbreakable.”
