Miami (AFP) – A rampant Lionel Messi scored a sensational hat-trick to seal Major League Soccer’s Golden Boot award on Saturday as Inter Miami roared into the playoffs with a 5-2 victory over Nashville SC. The Argentine superstar tallied an astonishing 29 goals from 28 matches, with Los Angeles FC’s Denis Bouanga and Nashville’s Sam Surridge tied for second best with 24 goals. Messi claimed his first MLS Golden Boot and also staked his claim to a second straight Most Valuable Player award with a bravura performance that saw Inter rally to clinch third place in the Eastern Conference. They’ll face the same Nashville team in the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs starting on October 24.
“What can I say about Leo?” Inter coach Javier Mascherano said. “Today he was exceptional, as he usually is. Surely he will be awarded the Most Valuable Player award for what he has demonstrated. I’m happy for him because he has helped us win the match once again.” Nashville had seen some quality chances go begging when Messi put Miami in front in the 34th minute with a cracking goal from outside the penalty area. Messi took a pass from Jordi Alba and made one cut before he unleashed a left-footed shot into the bottom left corner.
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Nine minutes later, Nashville’s Surridge grabbed his 24th goal of the season when he headed in a pinpoint delivery from Hany Mukhtar at the near post. Nashville seized a 2-1 lead deep in first-half injury time when Jacob Shaffelburg was there to fire home the rebound off a Mukhtar shot that hit the post. Messi’s first penalty conversion of the season pulled Inter level in the 63rd. The referee pointed to the spot after a ball deflected by Luis Suarez hit Mukhtar on the arm. Messi stepped up and rolled it past Nashville keeper Joe Willis.
After Baltasar Rodriguez made it 3-2 to Miami in the 67th, Messi completed his hat-trick in the 81st with a curling shot through traffic and past Willis. Miami’s Telasco Segovia completed the scoring against a shell-shocked Nashville in second-half injury time.
– Great level –
“In the first half, it was very tough for us, we lacked intensity,” Mascherano said. “We defended very deep, and with the ball, we didn’t have many ideas either. The second half was different. We played in the opponent’s half, took more risks, and finished at a great level.”
There was plenty up for grabs in the final Western Conference games of the season. Expansion club San Diego FC pipped Thomas Mueller’s Vancouver Whitecaps for top seed in the West as their 4-0 victory over the Portland Timbers coupled with Vancouver’s 2-1 loss to Dallas left them tied on 63 points. Amahl Pellegrino and Anders Dreyer scored two goals apiece for San Diego, who topped the conference on a tiebreaker to complete the best regular season for a debut franchise in MLS history.
Dallas, who were among four teams chasing the last two Western Conference playoff berths, had goals from Osaze Urhoghide and Kaick in their victory in Vancouver. Mueller scored a penalty but the Whitecaps played most of the match with 10 men after Mathias Laborda was sent off in the 11th minute. Dallas and Vancouver will meet again in the first round of the playoffs. Real Salt Lake also qualified for the playoffs with a 2-2 draw at St. Louis coupled with Colorado’s 2-2 draw with Los Angeles FC.
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