Lionel Messi had two goals and two assists to lead Inter Miami to a bounce-back 5-1 victory over the host New York Red Bulls on Saturday night in Harrison, N.J.
Messi and Inter Miami (12-4-5, 41 points) erased a 1-0 first-half deficit with a flurry of goals late in the first half — two of them coming off the foot of Telasco Segovia — that staked the Herons to a 3-1 halftime lead.
Miami won its sixth MLS match in its past seven after having a five-game winning streak snapped at Cincinnati on Wednesday.
The Red Bulls (9-9-6, 33 points) failed to string together consecutive wins at home and lost to Inter Miami for the second time this season.
New York scored its lone goal in the 15th minute when Emil Forsberg lifted a corner kick in front of Miami goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo’s line of sight. Alexander Hack then kicked it home for the score despite having defender Federico Redondo draped all over him.
Rios Novo made his second start this season for Oscar Ustari, who sat out with an injury.
Jordi Alba, who exited the game in the 84th minute with what appeared to be a leg cramp, scored his first goal of the season in MLS league play off a cross from Messi in the 24th minute to tie the game1-1.
Inter Miami took the lead for good in the 27th when Luis Suarez, who assisted on the first goal, sent a ball ahead to Messi, who then directed it quickly to Alba, who then crossed it back to Segovia for an easy shot into the back of the net.
In the third minute of first-half stoppage time, Redondo advanced the ball into the Red Bulls’ box but could not fire off a shot. Segovia, though, surged in and fired a shot off a rebound past Carlos Miguel Coronel for a third goal.
Messi followed with goals in the 60th and 75th minutes to seal the outcome.
Messi increased his total goals in MLS games to 18 this season and has contributed on 27 scores.
The Red Bulls mustered nine shots in the match, but they were outshot 8-1 in shots on target.
–Field Level Media
