FC Cincinnati Dominates Inter Miami 3-0, Halting Messi's Goal Streak

Inter Miami faced a challenging night on Wednesday, suffering a 3-0 defeat against FC Cincinnati, which marked the end of Lionel Messi's remarkable streak of scoring multiple goals in five consecutive matches.

Gerardo Valenzuela opened the scoring for Cincinnati in the first half, followed by two goals from Evander in the second half, keeping Cincinnati just one point behind the Philadelphia Union in the Eastern Conference standings. Philadelphia secured a 2-1 victory over CF Montreal on the same night.

This loss snapped Inter Miami's five-match winning streak, leaving them with a record of 11 wins, 4 losses, and 5 draws, placing them fifth in the Eastern Conference.

"Very pleased with the performance," Cincinnati head coach Pat Noonan remarked. "Our guys were up for it."

Messi, who has made history as the first player in MLS to achieve a multi-goal streak exceeding four matches, currently ranks second in the league with 16 goals.

Despite only facing Cincinnati three times since joining MLS, Messi has found it challenging to break through their defense. Cincinnati dominated early, registering four shots on target within the first 16 minutes while Inter Miami failed to register any.

Valenzuela's angled shot from the left side of the box found the net for his fifth goal of the season, giving Cincinnati a 1-0 lead. Messi's first attempt came just before halftime, but his shot was easily caught by keeper Roman Celentano.

Evander extended Cincinnati's lead to 2-0 less than five minutes into the second half with his 14th goal of the season and his 50th in MLS. This was a stark contrast to their previous match against Columbus, where they lost despite leading 2-0.

Cincinnati effectively neutralized Inter Miami's attack, which is spearheaded by Messi. "From the beginning they pressured us," Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano stated through a translator. "It does worry me that they were better beginning to end. We have to rest and look forward to Saturday."

Evander capped off the scoring with a third goal, capitalizing on a rebound from Luca Orellano's shot that deflected off the keeper.

Messi had a chance to score in the 78th minute, but his close-range effort was thwarted by a diving Celentano.

The 38-year-old Messi has played over 90 minutes in eight consecutive games, including four Club World Cup matches. At one point during the second half, he recorded the least distance covered among all players on the field.

Cincinnati played without their second-leading scorer Kevin Denkey due to a leg injury. "Obviously a tough game," Miami midfielder Yannick Bright commented. "The feeling was that it was not our day. We were on the road. It's tough against a good opponent. They deserved the result that they got."

Inter Miami will face off against the New York Red Bulls on Saturday night.