Lionel Messi continued his historic Major League Soccer scoring run on Saturday and delivered two goals for the fifth game in a row to lift Inter Miami to a 2-1 win over Nashville.
Just a few days after he became the first player to score several goals in four consecutive MLS matches, Messi did it again when Miami continued their climb to the classification of the Eastern Conference after their competition hiatus for the World Cup.
Messi, the eight times Ballon d'Or winner, opened the score in the 17th minute with a trademark left-feet free kick, which found the only gap in the defensive wall of Nashville to go past goalkeeper Joe Willis.
Miami dominated in the first half, but only four minutes after the break, the header of Hany Mukhtar pulled the level of Nashville.
Messi took the winner in the 62nd minute when he misjudged a big mistake by Willis, who misjudged a pass to make the Argentinian for the strike.
The two goals – over the heels of his two in a 2-1 victory over New England on Wednesday – took the total from Messi to 16 in 16 performances this season, connected to Sam Surridge of Nashville, who was unable to add to his count from 16 to Saturday.
“There are not many words. It is incredible what he keeps doing, now that breaking records every three days, not even every weekend,” said Miami coach Javier Mascherano.
“He is the standard carrier of our team that shows us the way to compete. He is the leader.
“It is a blessing for me to accompany this phase of his career.”
Miami played their third game since they returned to MLS promotion in the aftermath of a Month-Long Club World Cup campaign that ended when they were eliminated in the last 16 by Paris Saint-Germain.
With 38 points from 19 games, they are in fifth place in the east, five points behind leaders Philadelphia with three games in hand.
Philadelphia went the top with a 2-0 win over New York Red Bulls, Indiana Vassilev and Bruno Damiani who delivered the goals.
Cincinnati slid to second place in the east at 42 points after 4-2 falling to Columbus. Nashville and Columbus both have 41 points.
Miami's full of schedule will continue against Cincinnati on Wednesday, with the New York Red Bulls next weekend.
Mascherano knows that he will have to find time to give the 38-year-old Messi some rest.
“At a certain point we will have to find a space to give him some peace, we are going to talk about it every day,” he said.
“He feels good and when we think it's time to give him some peace, we'll do it.”