Lionel Messi starred once again, scoring a goal and providing an assist as Inter Miami CF beat the Seattle Sounders 3-1 on Tuesday night, just weeks after losing to the same opponent in the Leagues Cup final.
Messi set the tone early, threading an outside-of-the-foot pass to Jordi Alba, who finished clinically in the 12th minute. The Argentine legend then got on the scoresheet himself in the 41st minute, slotting home from Alba’s assist to make it 2-0.
Defender Ian Fray added a third for Miami early in the second half, heading in a Rodrigo De Paul corner. Seattle pulled one back in the 69th minute through Obed Vargas, but it wasn’t enough to change the outcome.
“I’m always looking for him, he’s always looking for me,” Alba said about his partnership with Messi. “We’ve created a lot of goals and we hope it continues until the end of our careers.”
Coach Javier Mascherano praised the win as a crucial response to Miami’s recent struggles, saying:
“It was an important and necessary victory. We came from two defeats, but this puts us back in a good mood and gives us momentum for the final stretch of the season.”
Miami were without Luis Suárez, serving the second game of a three-match suspension for spitting in the Leagues Cup final, forcing Mascherano to rotate heavily with a thin squad.
Messi nearly added a second late on but was denied by goalkeeper Stefan Frei. New signing Mateo Silvetti, arriving from Newell’s Old Boys, also made his Miami debut.
Seattle Sounders travel to face Austin FC on Sunday.
Inter Miami host D.C. United on Saturday.
