Lionel Messi provided the magic as Inter Miami put four past Atlanta

Inter Miami 4 – 0 Atlanta United

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL–Another dominant performance from Inter Miami in front of their home fans saw them dispatch Atlanta United with ease as Messi stole the show with another brace.

The Miami captain was involved in his side’s early advances on the Atlanta goal without creating any decent openings.  And he didn’t get a sight at goal until twenty minutes had passed.

It was twenty-one-year-old Atlanta keeper Jason Hibbert who did well to thwart the attack when faced with Messi bearing down on him with the ball. At the other end, Rocco Rios Novo was in goal for Miami for the second game running and his selection was somewhat justified with some fine saves in the first half to deny Atlanta a lifeline.

The away side were sloppy when playing out from the back, and they were giving away possession far too easily. It proved to be their undoing when Miami finally got the better of Hibbert and opened the scoring. As Atlanta attempted to play out from the back Baltazar Rodriguez broke up play and immediately found Messi with his quick pass. The captain didn’t disappoint as he curled his shot around the diving Hibbert who could do nothing to stop it this time.

Miami had found their groove by now and were testing the Atlanta defence. They couldn’t cope with the relentless Miami attacks and were relying on their young keeper to keep the score down to one in the first half

Luis Suarez hit the bar with a fine strike and Miami were attacking at will as Messi pulled the strings and orchestrated the show from the middle of the pitch.

He spends much of his time prowling around the centre circle waiting for an opportunity like a vulture waiting for the next feed. And as soon as the ball enters his zone, he springs into life and immediately wants the ball to unpick the opposition defense.

More often than not he does, and he did just that early in the second half when he floated a ball for Jordi Alba to run onto. Hibbert got caught in two minds and hesitated, Alba saw the chance and chipped the ball delightfully over the keeper and into the net.

Miami were in full control now and they turned the screw even more when Suarez scored with a fabulous volley.

Second half substitute Fafa Picault’s cross was headed away and Suarez latched on to the loose ball as he started to fall. It was a great shot and underlines his qualities as a striker.

Atlanta were a beaten team at that point, and it was now a case of Miami seeing out the game without conceding any goals and avoiding injuries. Jordi Alba put the icing on top when he returned the favor from earlier in the match. This time, he was the one who floated the ball perfectly into the path of his colleague, and it was Messi who scored to complete his brace.

It was a comfortable win in the end for the Herons who will be delighted to get a crucial win under their belt as we approach the final day of the regular season on Saturday.

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