In the end it was Lionel Messi (39, Inter Miami) again. At the moment the flow faltered, it was his left foot that lifted the game back up. Inter Miami earned a valuable victory after a slugfest.
Inter Miami defeated New York City FC 3-2 in the fifth-round match of the 2026 MLS season at Yankee Stadium in New York on the 23rd (Korea time). It was a rebound that shook off the shock of elimination from the midweek cup competition.
The start was intense. The opening goal came just three minutes into the first half. After Lionel Messi's corner, Gonzalo Ruhan finished in the scramble to seize the initiative.
The momentum did not last long. In the 17th minute of the first half, Nicolás Fernández leveled the score with a free kick, restoring balance to the game. It was an accurate shot that hit the post and went in.
After that the game revolved around Messi. In the first half alone he hit the post twice, unsettling New York's defense. He was at the center of the attack, involved across the board with dribbling, penetration and shooting. In fact, Messi touched the ball 72 times in 90 minutes, and of his seven shots four were on target. He also had eight touches inside the opponent's box. It was a match that showed both finishing ability and influence.
In the second half the flow shook again. In the 14th minute of the second half, Agustín Ojeda scored on a counterattack to give New York a 2-1 lead.
There was an immediate response. Just two minutes later Messi came up as the solution. He took a free kick won about 30 meters out himself, and the shot deflected off a defender and was sucked into the net. It was a strike that restored the balance of the match. It was Messi's 901st career goal. It was also his 71st goal from a free kick.
Messi's presence that day was confirmed by the numbers. He scored one goal, recorded an expected goals (xG) of 0.59, and had a shooting accuracy of 57%. He was deeply involved not only in scoring but in the overall development of the attack.
The match was overturned once again. In the 29th minute of the second half, Noah Allen's cross was headed in by Mikael to give Miami a 3-2 lead.
There were still variables afterward. An additional goal was disallowed for offside, and New York launched an all-out attack in the final moments. In stoppage time even the goalkeeper joined the attack. But goalkeeper Deane Saint Clair made a decisive save to prevent a goal.
In the end the result stood. Miami held the lead until the end and took three points.
The key of the match was clear. In a wavering flow, the player who held the center and the player who solved the decisive moment were both Messi.
Miami bounced back immediately after elimination from the cup competition. It was a victory that could lift the season's momentum again.
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