The goals keep coming from Lionel Messi, and the scariest part is that he won’t need to hit the back of the net against Inter Miami on Friday.
Inter Miami beat Charlotte 4-0 to reach the semi-finals of the League Cup, continuing their wild rise since signing one of the greatest players in football history. They face the Philadelphia Union on Tuesday.
Messi continued his five-game streak until the 88th minute to score Miami’s fourth and final goal.
Before that, Miami’s goals came from a penalty kick by Joseph Martinez, a cross from Robert Taylor and a Charlotte Own goal. Martinez gave Miami the lead in the 12th minute, then Taylor scored in the 32nd minute:
The own goal moved Charlotte to 78th.
The win again shows how far Inter Miami have come since signing the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner. They controlled possession 62.2% of the time and outrebounded Charlotte 702-413. Charlotte’s own goal also contributed to Miami’s offensive pressure. Goalkeeper Drake Kalender didn’t make a save until midway through the second half.
Inter Miami enters the League Cup with an MLS-worst 5-3-14 record, and with very little surprising evidence, it’s clear we’re looking at a remarkable turnaround. Since adding Messi, Miami has scored 17 goals in five matches. Messi has scored eight of those goals and assisted three.
As more and more eyeballs switch to MLS, And Apple TV’s numbers indicate that they are, the pressure is only going to increase for Miami. Messi, 36, has seen more than the task so far.
