Lionel Messi scored his MLS-leading 23rd and 24th goals and added his 13th assist to power visiting Inter Miami to a 4-0 victory over New York City FC on Wednesday night, clinching an MLS Cup Playoff spot.
Luis Suarez added his seventh goal late from the penalty spot in his return from a three-match suspension as Miami (16-6-7, 55 points) moved above NYCFC (16-10-5, 53 points) and Charlotte into third in the Eastern Conference.
Baltasar Rodriguez added his second goal for the Herons, who are now five points back of Philadelphia, the East and Supporters’ Shield leader, with two matches in hand.
NYCFC saw a three-game winning streak snapped, while failing to score for the first time in 10 league matches and sliding down one spot to fifth in the East.
Sergio Busquets had two assists in Miami’s third straight win following a 3-0 loss at Charlotte on Sept. 13.
Since then, Miami has outscored opponents 10-3, with Messi alone outscoring his foes 5-3.
Messi now sits two in front of LAFC’s Denis Bouanga and three ahead of Nashville’s Sam Surridge for the MLS goal-scoring lead.
But he was a provider first when Rodriguez put Miami in front in the 43rd minute by finishing off an attack that flowed straight up New York’s middle.
Busquets intercepted a pass in his own half of the center circle, then quickly fed the ball to Messi about 10 yards further forward.
Messi managed to receive the pass and turn his body toward the goal with one touch, then, with his second, fed Rodriguez’s run in behind the NYCFC defense.
After one touch forward, Rodriguez dispatched his second from just inside the penalty area, low past Matt Freese and inside the right post.
Messi’s first goal came in the 74th minute when he reached Busquets’ exceptional throughball and chipped the charging Freese.
His second completed the scoring 12 minutes later, when he finished low on the dribble on an attack set up by Marcelo Weigandt’s pass and Suarez’s decoy run.