Messi scores again as Miami advances to the semifinals

By Sola Omoniyi, Lagos

Inter Miami advanced to the League Cup semifinals with a 4-0 win over Charlotte FC on Friday, due to Lionel Messi’s eighth goal in five games.

In the 86th minute, the Argentine scored Miami’s fourth goal in what was a very simple victory for Gerardo Martino’s club.

After defeating Queretaro 2-1, Miami will head north to face the Philadelphia Union in Tuesday’s semifinal.

Messi had one of his quietest games in Miami’s pink shirt, but he still found the goal for his millions of admirers and helped secure the club’s fifth straight win since his arrival.

Miami seized the lead in the 12th minute on a Josef Martinez penalty and doubled their lead in the 32nd minute on a low cross from DeAndre Yedlin tapped home by in-form Robert Taylor.

Charlotte, who had mainly been satisfied to frustrate Messi and Spanish midfielder Sergio Busquets in the first 45 minutes, showed more daring after the half, and substitute Patrick Agyemang might have equalised but his close-range header sailed over the bar.

Immediately after that hiccup, Miami sealed the victory with Diego Gomez’s low pass to Messi in the middle, only for Charlotte defender Adilson Malanda’s attempted interception to end up in his own goal.

Malanda’s erroneous slide had denied the home supporters their predicted Messi goal celebration, but it would come three minutes later.