Nigeria: Messi’s streak ends as Cincinnati beat Inter Miami
By Zuleihat Owuiye, Mamos Nigeria
Lionel Messi’s Major League Soccer-record streak of multi-goal games ended at five as his Inter Miami squad was blanked 3-0 at FC Cincinnati. Messi had scored a brace in five consecutive matches for Miami, giving him 16 goals on the season. However, Cincinnati kept Miami to only two shots on goal in the contest.
US 20-year-old midfielder Gerardo Valenzuela opened the scoring for Cincinnati in the 16th minute. Brazilian striker Evander followed with a goal in the 50th minute and struck again in the 70th to provide all the scoring the hosts needed.
Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano said his team was outplayed from the beginning of the match. “It was very difficult for us to win the individual duels. Maybe one of the reasons is that physically we come with a very big hustle and bustle and in the long run we end up paying,” Mascherano said.
Inter Miami will visit the New York Red Bulls on Saturday, who recently got two goals each from Cameroon’s Eric Choupo-Moting and Sweden’s Emil Forsberg in a 5-3 home win over New England.
Meanwhile, Inter Miami has reportedly agreed on terms with Argentine international Rodrigo De Paul, a midfielder for Atletico Madrid. The deal is for the next four seasons, with De Paul to play the remainder of 2025 in Miami on loan from Atletico Madrid with a subsequent purchase option for Inter worth more than $12 million.
