On a magical night in front of their fans, Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami thrashed New York City 5-1 on Saturday (29) and advanced to their first MLS (North American football league) final, where they will face the Vancouver Whitecaps, led by German Thomas Müller.
The Canadian team, which defeated San Diego FC 3-1 in the Western Conference final, and Miami, winner of the Eastern Conference, will face each other next Saturday (6) for the title, at the Inter Miami stadium.
Argentine Tadeo Allende was Miami’s qualifying hero with a hat-trick, while his young compatriot Mateo Silvetti and Venezuelan Telasco Segovia completed the rout.
The victory was celebrated in style by almost 22 thousand fans in Fort Lauderdale — on the outskirts of Miami —, where special guests such as Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz also shone, presenting the Eastern Conference champion trophy to captain Messi.
“This is the game we dreamed of at the beginning of the season, a final at home in front of our fans”, celebrated coach Javier Mascherano.
Hat trick de Allende
In its sixth season in MLS, Inter Miami will be able to fulfill its promise of dominating North American football, a promise made with the signing of Messi in mid-2023.
Inter missed out on a second Leagues Cup title in August, losing the final to the Seattle Sounders, but unexpectedly found their best form at the end of this grueling season, racking up 30 goals in eight matches played since October.
Messi, the main architect of this explosion of goals, ceded the spotlight to his attacking companions this Saturday, especially Tadeo Allende.
The Córdoba-born striker reached eight goals in five playoff games, equaling the post-season record, which had been held by Guatemalan Carlos Ruiz since 2002.
Allende’s hat-trick began when he received a pass from Sergio Busquets, advancing from his own half, and scored with a powerful right-foot shot in the 14th minute.
The second goal also came from the tactical awareness of the Spanish midfielder, who quickly suffered a foul after a small disagreement between Messi and his compatriot Maxi Moralez.
Alba received the ball on the left wing and crossed into the New York box, where Allende (23′) headed into the corner.
The joy at Chase Stadium was absolute when the visitors reduced the score with an unstoppable header from American Justin Haak (37′).
The New York franchise threatened to repeat last week’s upset against the Philadelphia Union, the regular season leader.
At 66, Argentine goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo saved Inter with a shot from Julián Fernández and, a minute later, Silvetti scored the goal of local tranquility after an assist from Messi.
The stands exploded when Segovia (83′) scored the fourth goal after a masterful backheel from Alba, and Allende (89′) completed the rout with another stunning counterattack.
Busquets and Alba in search of the last title
With this victory, Alba and Busquets will have the opportunity to say goodbye to football fighting for one last trophy.
They will face a familiar face in Thomas Müller, who arrived in MLS in August to manage the Vancouver Whitecaps.
The former Bayern Munich attacking midfielder has faced several former Barcelona players, including Messi, including in Germany’s victory over Argentina in the 2014 World Cup final.
“I like watching Messi, but Miami is a very strong team,” Müller emphasized. “It’s a great final, I wanted this final, and here I am.”
The Vancouver Whitecaps, the revelation of the MLS season, defeated the San Diego Padres comfortably, with two goals from the American Brian White (8′, 45+2′) and an own goal from Mexican goalkeeper Pablo Sisniega (11′).
Mexican Hirving “Chucky” Lozano, who again started on the bench, scored for the Californians in the 60th minute with a shot from outside the box that deflected off a defender.
For San Diego, leaders of the Western Conference in the regular season, it was a painful farewell to their dream of winning the title in their debut MLS season.
