August 16, (THEWILL) – Lionel Messi continued his brilliant form for Inter Miami on Tuesday night as they cruised past the Philadelphia Union 4-1 to reach the Leagues Cup final.
The Argentine superstar bagged his ninth goal in six games since joining the Florida club to help them record a comfortable victory away from home. After Josef MartÃnez had opened the scoring, Messi doubled Miami’s lead in the 20th minute with a fine individual effort. He picked up the ball near the halfway line before embarking on a mazy run, past three Union players, and slotting home from outside the area to make it 2-0.
Inter Miami were dominant throughout and extended their lead just before halftime when Jordi Alba added a third. The Spanish full-back burst through on goal down the left and finished confidently past the Union goalkeeper.
Philadelphia pulled one back through substitute Alejandro Bedoya, who had just come in for Jesus Bueno in the second half, but it was merely a consolation. David Ruiz wrapped up a comprehensive 4-1 win for Miami late on to seal their place in the final.
It was a sixth straight victory for Inter Miami and their attacking performance was clear to see. They have now scored 21 goals in their last six games, with Messi directly involved in over half of them. The Argentine’s arrival has transformed Miami from MLS strugglers into potential trophy winners. They will now face either CF Monterrey or Nashville SC in the Leagues Cup final.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
