Tag: Messi

Lionel Messi scored twice and created another for Sergio Busquets as Inter Miami beat Nashville 3-1 on Saturday to maintain top spot in Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference.

Miami suffered an early setback when their defender Franco Negri deflected a corner from Daniel Lovitz into his own net in just the second minute of the game at Chase Stadium.

Gerardo Martino’s team have now failed to keep a clean sheet in each of their last 11 games and it could have been worse when three minutes later Josh Bauer blasted a shot against the bar.

But Messi soon had Miami on level terms — the Argentine set free by a clever flick from Diego Gomez saw a shot parried out by Nashville keeper Elliot Panicco, but after Luis Suarez directed the loose ball back to him Messi slotted home to make it 1-1 in the 11th minute.

Two minutes later, Messi took advantage of some sloppy play from Nashville but his low right-foot shot came out off the post.

Everything Miami was creating was coming through Messi, who flashed a snapshot wide before moments later whipping in a cross for a Gomez header which was saved by Panicco’s feet.

Six minutes before the interval, Messi’s former Barcelona team-mate Busquets found the net for the first time in MLS, meeting the World Cup winner’s corner with a fine glancing header at the near post.

But there was a blow for the home side just before the break when Paraguay international Gomez was stretchered off with an ankle injury, the latest in a series of injuries for Miami.

His replacement, Brazilian-born youngster Leonardo Afonso, had the ball in the net but his effort was ruled out for offside.

Nashville came out strongly after the break but despite dominating possession for the opening 20 minutes of the half, they had little to show for their efforts other than a couple of off-target long-range efforts from German Hany Mukhtar.

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Nine minutes from the end, Miami were able to put the game to bed when Afonso was ruled to have been brought down inside the box by Bauer and Messi slotted home the penalty.

The goal was Messi’s ninth goal in as many games in all competitions this season for Miami.

Martino was unhappy with the way his team had started so slowly.

“Regardless of how fortunate their goal was, we didn’t start well in the first few minutes. They were more focused, more intense, they handled the ball better, they pressed,” he said.

“There are a lot of things we need to correct, but I’d like to do it with the full squad. We have seven or eight players out which is a lot in a league as strict as MLS with the roster and budget issues,” he said.

Miami have 18 points from their opening 10 games and Martino said that was a decent return considering the depleted squad he is working with.

“All this happens to us and we have still collected 18 points, which is significantly more than last year at this stage, we will be looking to accumulate points now so that the second part of the year is not as demanding and dramatic as last year,” he said, referring to the ill-fated late chase for a playoff place.

Elsewhere in MLS on Saturday, champions Columbus Crew had to come from behind twice to earn a 2-2 draw with Phil Neville’s Portland Timbers.

The leveller came in the 74th minute via a superbly struck long-range blast from French full-back Steven Moreira.

Last season’s regular season table-toppers Cincinnati claimed an impressive 2-1 win at Atlanta United despite falling behind to a lovely, curling shot from Argentine midfielder Thiago Almada in the 59th minute.

The lead lasted just three minutes as reigning MLS Most Valuable Player Luciano Acosta led Cincy on a counter-attack and fed compatriot Luca Orellano to level.

Acosta completed a crazy five minutes when he grabbed the winner, tapping in after he was picked out by DeAndre Yedlin.

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Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez scored two goals each as Inter Miami turned on the style hammering Orlando City 5-0 in Major League Soccer (MLS) on Saturday.

Florida rivals Orlando City finished second in the Eastern Conference last season and have been considered contenders for this season’s MLS Cup but they were outclassed by Inter Miami from the outset.

Suarez had lacked sharpness and match fitness in his first two outings but the prolific 37-year-old top scorer for Gremio in Brazil last season put aside any doubts about his continuing ability in the final third.

“I’m very happy for him, that he was able to score. We were calm anyway, we know what Luis is and what he is capable of doing and everyone knows it,” Messi said.

“He is like that, when you least expect it he solves a game for you like he did today, with the goals and the assists.”

Suarez took just four minutes to get Miami on the scoreboard and his first goal for his new club came in emphatic style, meeting a low cross from Julian Gressel with a thumping first-time shot inside the near post.

Seven minutes later Suarez had doubled his tally with Gressel again the provider to the Uruguayan, who showed good close control in the box before burying into the corner.

Miami were in total control and the crowd lapped up some delicious touches from Messi but it was his former Barcelona teammate Suarez who was doing the damage.

Robert Taylor made it 3-0 in the 29th minute after the excellent Gressel split the Orlando defenders, finding Suarez, who unselfishly picked out Taylor for a simple tap-in.

Messi then struck a trademark, curling free-kick from 30 yards out against the upright and minutes later he provided a classy through ball to Suarez, who found the net. But his hopes of a hat trick celebration were denied by an offside flag.

Orlando came out aggressively after the break, seeking a possible way back into the game and they were frustrated when Martin Ojeda’s effort was ruled out for offside.

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Miami quickly found a groove, Messi firing inches wide in the 54th minute and then Gressel blasting against the bar after a clever exchange with Suarez.

Another of Miami’s ex-Barca quartet, left-back Jordi Alba, created the fourth when he burst down the flank, played a one-two with Suarez and clipped the ball goalwards.

Orlando City captain Robin Jansson’s desperate clearance flew out off the bar and Messi was on hand to put the ball home.

Suarez looked keen for his hat trick but, when found in space in the inside left channel, he looked up and spotted Messi at the back post and found him with a perfectly weighted left-foot cross, which the Argentine headed into the far corner.

Inter Miami, with seven points from the opening three games, will return to action on Thursday against Nashville in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.

“We’re doing well, we’re enjoying it, we’re growing,” Messi said. “Today was an important match to win, to continue on this path of growth and this has to make us very strong for everything that’s to come.”

Earlier, defending MLS champions Columbus Crew were held to a 1-1 draw at unfancied Minnesota United.

Colombian striker Cucho Hernandez put the Crew ahead with a strike from the edge of the box in the 58th minute but Minnesota snatched a point deep in stoppage time through Tani Oluwaseyi.

MLS 2023 runner-up Los Angeles FC fell 3-0 in snowy conditions at Real Salt Lake, with Andres Gomez delivering a brace for the home side.

The game was played on a snow-covered field and LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo was fuming with the decision to let the game go ahead.

“It was an absolute joke we had to play today. It was one of the worst professional sporting events I’ve ever seen in my life,” he said.

The Los Angeles Galaxy enjoyed a 3-1 win at San Jose in their all-Californian clash.

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Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi returned to the starting lineup for the MLS club on Thursday in a 1-1 home draw with his Argentine boyhood club, Newell’s Old Boys.

It was an emotional match for the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, who supported Old Boys as a youth and played for them from 1995 to 2000 before joining Barcelona.

Messi was removed in the 60th minute, replaced by 22-year-old American Lawson Sunderland, but he delighted home fans ahead of next week’s start of the 2024 MLS campaign and Inter coach Gerardo Martino for his quality performance.

“I spoke to him after the game and he was fine. We had talked about playing between 45 and 60 minutes,” the Argentine coach said.

The 36-year-old striker, who sparked Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title, returned to Miami’s starting 11 after fighting through a groin injury that caused him to sit out a friendly in Hong Kong earlier this month.

Messi came off the bench in a later Inter Miami match in Japan but was back among the starters for the MLS club’s final pre-season match and in healthy form.

After a scoreless first half, Inter Miami grabbed a 1-0 lead on Shanyder Borgelin’s goal in the 64th minute.

The 22-year-old Haitian forward leapt high over a defender to nod home a perfect corner kick from Finnish midfielder Robert Taylor.

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Newell’s equalized on Argentine midfielder Franco Martin Diaz’s goal in the 83rd minute, a blast into the bottom right corner from the heart of the box.

It was an important night for other Argentine talent on Inter, and Martino.

“For many of us who have a very strong bond with Newell’s it was a special and nice game, a friendly to enjoy,” Martino said.

Mauricio Larriera, Newell’s coach, and the Old Boys felt much the same.

“Emotions had to be managed, something very important in these cases because ultimately it’s a football match,” Larriera said.

“In the case of Lionel Messi, all the boys were happy and with that sense of Argentine belonging, it was necessary to dose and manage not only the energy but also the emotional part.”

Inter Miami will play host to Real Salt Lake on Wednesday in the MLS regular-season opener after a global pre-season tour that saw the team struggle with injuries but ultimately build confidence for the upcoming season, Messi’s first full campaign with the Florida squad.

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Lionel Messi won the eighth Ballon d’Or of his remarkable career at a glittering ceremony in Paris on Monday, while Spain’s World Cup-winning star Aitana Bonmati took the women’s prize.

For Messi, the trophy rewards, above all else, his inspirational performances at last year’s World Cup in Qatar, when he dragged Argentina to victory, scoring seven goals and being named the tournament’s best player.

It was the crowning moment of his astonishing career, and it allowed him to see off stiff competition, in particular from Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe, to take the award on the stage of the Chatelet Theatre in Paris.

It was a return to the French capital after his departure from Paris Saint-Germain in June and his subsequent move to Inter Miami in Major League Soccer.

“This is a gift to the whole Argentina team for what we achieved,” said Messi on stage after receiving his award from David Beckham, the co-owner of Inter Miami.

Messi dedicated his eighth Ballon d’Or trophy to late Argentina legend Diego Maradona, who would have celebrated his 63rd birthday on Monday.

“Happy birthday Diego. This is for you too,” he said.

Messi benefits from a recent change which means the award is based on a player’s record over the last season, rather than over the calendar year.

He won despite an underwhelming final season at PSG, even if he was a Ligue 1 title winner.

Mbappe was the star player in that team, scoring 41 goals, and was also the World Cup’s top scorer with eight goals, including a hat-trick in the final which France lost to Argentina on penalties.

Yet he fell just short for the Ballon d’Or, finishing third, while Norway striker Haaland came second after scoring 52 goals in 53 games for the Manchester City team that won the treble of English Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League.

Messi is 36 and won his first Ballon d’Or in 2009. With eight, he is now three ahead of his old rival Cristiano Ronaldo, the next most decorated player in the history of the award.

It remains to be seen if Messi will again feature in the running for the prize, which is voted for by one journalist in each of the top 100 nations in the FIFA ranking.

“I am not thinking about the long-term future. I am just enjoying the day to day at the moment,” he said.

Messi will struggle to hold off the next wave of superstars, led by Mbappe, Haaland and Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham, but his World Cup performances made his victory this time feel inevitable.

The women’s prize seemed even more clear cut, as Bonmati was rewarded for starring as Spain won the World Cup in Australia in August.

The 25-year-old midfielder was named the best player at the World Cup as the Spanish team overcame off-field turbulence, including protests against their national federation and coach Jorge Vilda, to lift the trophy.

Bonmati also starred as Barcelona won the Champions League last season and was recently named as the UEFA Women’s Player of the Year.

“It is difficult to improve on this. It has been a unique year,” she told various media including AFP.

“If anyone said to me when I was little that I would play at the Camp Nou, win the World Cup, two Champions Leagues, a Ballon d’Or, a UEFA award, these are extraordinary things.”

She was one of four members of the triumphant Spain team to feature among the 30 nominees, with Alba Redondo, Salma Paralluelo and full-back Olga Carmona, who netted the winner in the final, all shortlisted.

Last year’s Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas, also part of that Spain side, was not nominated after missing almost all of last season with a knee injury.

Australia’s Sam Kerr came second with Paralluelo in third place.

Putellas had won the Ballon d’Or in each of the previous two campaigns. Norway’s Ada Hegerberg won the inaugural award in 2018 and USA star Megan Rapinoe succeeded her a year later.

Bellingham won the Kopa Trophy for the best player of last season aged under 21.

The 20-year-old has started his Madrid career with 13 goals in 13 games, although the prize rewards his performances in his final campaign with Borussia Dortmund.

Bellingham’s Madrid teammate, the Brazil forward Vinicius Junior, won the Socrates prize in recognition of his off-pitch work.

Messi’s Argentina colleague Emiliano Martinez won the Yashin Trophy for the best goalkeeper of the season.

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Lionel Messi scored two goals as Argentina extended their perfect start to South American qualifiers for the World Cup 2026 on Tuesday with a 2-0 victory over Peru.

The Inter Miami star took his international goal tally to 106 with strikes in the 32nd and 42nd minutes at Lima’s Estadio Nacional.

Messi’s first-half brace left reigning world champions Argentina on top of the South American qualifying table with 12 points from four games, five points clear of Uruguay, Brazil and Venezuela, who all have seven points.

Restored to the starting line-up after coming off the bench in last Thursday’s 1-0 win over Paraguay, Messi showed no sign of the injuries that have recently limited his appearances in Major League Soccer.

The 36-year-old crashed home an emphatic opener just after the half-hour mark, then added a second 10 minutes later after good work by Enzo Fernandez down the left flank.

The win leaves Argentina firmly on track to return to the World Cup finals in 2026, which are being expanded to include 48 teams and will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.

The top six teams in South America’s 10-team qualifying competition will be guaranteed a place in the finals.

While Argentina continued their serene progress through qualifying, arch-rivals Brazil suffered a nightmare 2-0 defeat in Montevideo, crashing to a first loss against Uruguay in 22 years.

The defeat was compounded by the sight of veteran forward Neymar being stretchered off just before half-time with what appeared to be a knee injury.

Uruguay’s Darwin Nunez struck with a bullet header in 42 minutes to open the scoring in a dour first half at the Estadio Centenario.

The Liverpool striker then played a pivotal role in Uruguay’s second, holding up the ball well from a throw-in and cutting back for Nicolas de la Cruz to fire past Brazil goalkeeper Ederson on 77 minutes, sealing a 2-0 victory.

The win was Uruguay’s first over Brazil in a World Cup qualifying fixture since a 1-0 victory over the Selecao in Montevideo in July 2001.

The defeat marked another disappointing result for five-time world champions Brazil, who were held to a 1-1 draw by Venezuela last week in the previous round.

Brazilian team officials said Neymar would undergo examinations in Sao Paulo on Wednesday to assess the nature of his injury.

Venezuela meanwhile boosted their hopes of reaching the World Cup for the first time with an impressive 3-0 rout of Chile in Maturin.

Winger Yeferson Soteldo was the star for La Vinotinto, scoring the opening goal and setting up second-half goals for veteran strikers Salomon Rondon and Darwin Machis.

Soteldo opened the scoring in stoppage time at the end of the first half, stabbing a low-angled shot into the bottom corner to the delight of a raucous home crowd.

The Santos winger turned provider for Venezuela’s second, bursting down the left flank and cutting back for Rondon to sweep home from close range on 72 minutes.

Soteldo was also involved in Venezuela’s third, once again finding space on the left wing and crossing for an unmarked Machis to make it 3-0.

Elsewhere Tuesday, Paraguay got their first win of the qualifiers, defeating lowly Bolivia 1-0 in Asuncion with a 69th-minute strike from Antonio Sanabria.

Bolivia remain bottom of the standings while Paraguay are seventh with three points from four games.

In Quito meanwhile, Colombia maintained their unbeaten start to qualifiers with a 0-0 draw away to Ecuador.

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A stunning 85th-minute equalizer from Eduard Bello earned Venezuela a rare draw at Brazil while world champions Argentina made it three wins out of three in South American World Cup 2026 qualifiers with a hard-earned 1-0 win over a determined Paraguay on Thursday.

A third-minute goal from Nicolas Otamendi was just enough for Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina, with Lionel Messi coming off in the bench in the second half and hitting the woodwork twice.

Brazil have never lost to Venezuela in a competitive fixture and have only once before, in 2009, failed to beat the Vinotinto in World Cup qualifying, but they were left frustrated after Bello’s brilliant late leveller.

Brazil took the lead when Neymar had a shot pushed wide in the 49th minute and from the resulting corner, taken by the striker, Arsenal defender Gabriel rose at the near post to angle home a fine header.

The goal forced Venezuela into a more adventurous approach and Wilker Angel flashed a header just wide from a 62nd-minute corner.

Rodrygo then found himself in a great position in the box but the Real Madrid winger blasted his shot into the side netting.

With five minutes left, the home crowd in Cuiaba were left stunned when Jefferson Savarino whipped in a cross and Bello lept acrobatically to blast a spectacular overhead kick past Ederson.

The result leaves Brazil in second place in the 10-team World Cup qualifiers standings, two ahead of Colombia and two behind Argentina.

Messi’s fight for full fitness inevitably dominated the build-up to Argentina’s attempt to maintain their 100% record in the World Cup qualifiers and the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner started on the bench with Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez leading the attack.

But it was veteran defender Otamandi who provided the moment of attacking inspiration, meeting a Rodrigo De Paul corner with a brilliant volley at the back post.

Atletico Madrid midfielder De Paul went close to doubling the lead three minutes before the break when he struck the post and moments later Nicolas Gonzalez fired just wide.

Messi replaced Alvarez in the 53rd minute as Scaloni looked to break down a disciplined and well-organised Paraguay side but the woodwork foiled their talisman.

An inswinging corner from the right almost snuck in, but struck the post and then, after winning a free kick on the edge of the box, Messi curled his shot against the same post.

Meanwhile, Darwin Nunez struck a stoppage-time penalty as Uruguay fought back for a 2-2 draw with Colombia in Barranquilla and Ecuador got their first points with a last-gasp 2-1 win at Bolivia and Chile beat Peru 2-0.

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Argentina captain Lionel Messi has said that he is unsure about his participation in the next FIFA World Cup in 2026, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.

“I don’t know if I will get there,” he told Argentine media personality Miguel Garrados in an interview broadcast on YouTube Thursday. “I don’t think about it yet because it is far away.”

By the time of FIFA World Cup 2026, Messi will be 39 years of age. For now, he said he is only focused on the 2024 US-hosted Copa America tournament.

“After the Copa America we’ll see, it will depend on how I feel,” he said. “There are still three years left.”

Messi led Argentina to victory against France in the World Cup final in Qatar last December.

In the interview, he reiterated his disappointment with not having received sufficient “recognition” at his former French club Paris Saint-Germain after holding aloft the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

He claimed he was the only one of his Argentine team mates “who got no recognition” from his club.

“It was not what I expected but I’ve always said that things happen for a reason,” Messi said of his Paris years, adding he “wasn’t well there.”

The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner had already stated on numerous occasions that he was unhappy at PSG before moving to Florida to play for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer.

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Lionel Messi is suffering from “muscle fatigue” and will not be rushed back, Inter Miami coach Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino said on Saturday after his team’s playoff hopes suffered a blow with a 5-2 thrashing at Atlanta United.

Messi and his former Barcelona team-mate Jordi Alba both sat out the game with Martino saying it would have been “very reckless” for the Argentine to play in Atlanta.

Martino said that his focus was on having his team ready for the September 27th final of the US Open Cup when Miami host Houston as they look for their second trophy of the season.

“They will train tomorrow (Sunday) and we will see day by day. Nothing changes our outlook on how he (Messi) will train. We have no urgency,” said the former Barcelona and Argentina coach.

Miami faces Toronto, the only team below them in the Eastern Conference, at home in MLS action on Wednesday.

“If he is well and confident he can get to play and if this doesn’t happen he will wait a few more days,” Martino said.

Miami’s loss was their first in 12 games in all competitions since Messi and Spanish pair Alba and Sergio Busquets joined the team in July.

The defeat makes it tougher for Miami to climb into the top nine in the East which would ensure qualification for the playoffs.

“This defeat hurts us and reduces our chances but it is not decisive,” said Martino, who said the US Open Cup remains a priority.

“The final is one game. It’s very tempting to go for a title,” Martino said.

“We started the (playoff) race very far back, we are not going to abandon it but our sights are set on the (Cup final on the) 27th,” he said.

The 36-year-old Messi had also sat out Argentina’s World Cup qualifier against Bolivia in La Paz on Tuesday but he travelled and watched his team-mates from the bench.

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MIAMI: Lionel Messi and Inter Miami face the MLS champions as their bid to make the playoffs takes them to Los Angeles on Sunday.

Los Angeles FC are second in the Western Conference and represent one of the toughest tests for a Miami team that are 10 points outside of the playoff places with 10 games remaining.

Miami’s attempt to surge into the post-season, after a winless run of 11 games in MLS before Messi’s arrival left them rock bottom of the league, suffered a blow on Wednesday when they were held to a goalless draw at home to Nashville.

That disappointing result came after a 2-0 win at New York Red Bulls last Saturday in Messi’s first outing in the regular season.

“We have tunnel vision on our goal, which is making the playoffs, so this feels like a loss, but we’re just going to keep moving forward,” said Canadian defender Kamal Miller after Wednesday’s draw.

Messi had led Miami to victory in the mid-season Leagues Cup tournament and into the final of the US Open Cup and has already scored 11 goals in all competitions.

But he was well below his best against Nashville, raising concerns about whether the intense schedule since his debut has taken a toll.

“We got a little too accustomed to titles, finals, winning in New York, but we have to keep going because a lot can still happen,” said Argentine coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino.

LAFC are seven points behind Western Conference leaders St.Louis City but are expected to be among the favourites for the MLS Cup again.

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MIAMI: FC Cincinnati led the way into the Major League Soccer (MLS) playoffs on Wednesday as the slim post-season hopes of Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami took a hit with a goalless draw against Nashville.

Second-half goals from Luciano Acosta and Brandon Vazquez lifted Cincinnati to a 2-1 victory at Atlanta, where Colombian Edwin Mosquera’s first MLS goal had put the hosts ahead in the 10th minute.

The victory was Cincinnati’s first at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and took the Eastern Conference leaders to 57 points and the first berth in the MLS Cup playoffs with eight matches remaining in the regular season.

Miami, meanwhile, made little headway in their unlikely bid to make the playoffs as they were held scoreless for the first time in the 10 games of the Messi era.

The Argentine star had scored 11 goals in nine appearances since joining Inter Miami — including their run to the Leagues Cup crown, in a US Open Cup semi-final and in his regular-season debut off the bench in New York on Saturday.

The workload may have finally caught up with him on Wednesday as he was unable to work the magic again in front of another star-studded crowd at a blustery DRV PNK Stadium, where boxing great Floyd Mayweather and FIFA chief Gianni Infantino were among the spectators.

The draw left Inter Miami 10 points out of the final playoff spot with 10 games remaining

They travel across the country to take on MLS Cup champions Los Angeles FC on Sunday.

Messi and former Barcelona teammate Sergio Busquets both started the game after coming off the bench in the 60th minute in New York.

Despite controlling possession throughout a frustrating first half, Miami struggled to create real chances against Nashville’s disciplined defense.

Miami fans were on the edge of their seats after Messi drew a foul on Nashville’s Dax McCarty in the 60th minute and stepped up to take a free kick, but his effort to the bottom left corner was gathered in by Nashville goalkeeper Elliot Panicco.

Nashville’s Hany Mukhtar had a goal erased by an offside call in the 69th minute.

Messi had another free kick from a dangerous position in the 83rd minute but his shot caromed harmlessly off the wall of defenders.

Miami looked to have one last chance deep in injury time when Messi received a ball from Busquets and dribbled past two defenders, but his low right-footed shot was saved.

“What we have to do is move on,” said Miami coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino.

“This can happen. It is true that we were a bit unaccustomed to this. The titles, the final, with a league game won the other day in New York, but we must move forward. There are still many things left to say.”

In Atlanta, Mosquera blasted home a deflected cross to put the hosts up early.

Acosta levelled the score with his 13th goal of the season in the 75th minute, splitting two defenders and playing a pass to Junior Moreno, who headed the ball down to Acosta who beat Atlanta keeper Brad Guzan with a one-time shot into the top corner.

Five minutes later Acosta collected the ball in midfield and sent it out to Alvaro Barreal on the left wing. Barreal’s cross found Vazquez, whose fifth goal of the season sealed Cincinnati’s 17th victory.

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