Lionel Messi scored two goals in the first half to lead Inter Miami to a 2-1 win over the New England Revolution on Wednesday night.
The 38-year-old Argentine star made history by becoming the first player in Major League Soccer (MLS) to score two goals in four straight games.
Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said, “Obviously, Leo is a special player. For me, he’s the best player that has played this sport in history. It’s unbelievable how he keeps doing things that we never thought were still possible.
“Messi opened the scoring in the 27th minute at Gillette Stadium, taking advantage of a mistake by New England’s defense and shooting with his left foot from the center of the box.
“Eleven minutes later, Messi made it 2-0 after receiving a long pass from teammate Sergio Busquets. He calmly placed the ball past the goalkeeper, Aljaz Ivacic.”
“They have played for many years so just when they see each other they connect. Busquets understands when and where Leo wants the ball. It’s fantastic for us,” Mascherano said of the strong understanding between Messi and Busquets.
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Messi now has 14 goals in 15 MLS matches this season, just two behind Nashville’s Sam Surridge, who has played six more games.
New England pulled one goal back in the 79th minute. Spaniard Carles Gil stole the ball from Miami’s Tadeo Allende and scored with a powerful shot from outside the penalty area.
Miami’s goalkeeper Oscar Ustari made six saves during the match to protect the win.
With this victory, Inter Miami climbed to fifth place in the MLS Eastern Conference standings, just seven points behind league leaders FC Cincinnati. Miami has played three fewer matches due to their recent participation in the Club World Cup, where Messi scored once in four games before the team was knocked out by Paris Saint-Germain.
Mascherano admitted he could not afford to rest Messi, even with a busy schedule ahead.
“We know that at some point we have to find the moment to rest him. But with a tight score like this, it’s not easy,” he said.