Daily News 19

Tag: Messi four-goal game

  • Messi Surpasses Cristiano Ronaldo in Goals, With His Lead Set to Grow

    Messi Surpasses Cristiano Ronaldo in Goals, With His Lead Set to Grow

    Leo Messi produced another performance worthy of his growing legacy as Inter Miami responded to a difficult run with a historic rout. The Argentine captain scored four goals and provided one assist, leading the club to the biggest win in its history.

    At 39, Messi continues to defy expectations. Rather than manage his workload, he remains central to Inter Miami’s attack while adding new records to an already extraordinary career. His latest display also reignited comparisons with Cristiano Ronaldo, even without the two players meeting on the pitch.

    Messi moves further ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo in free-kick goals

    The rivalry between Messi and Ronaldo defined more than a decade of football, with the two competing for goals, trophies, individual awards, and records. Although their careers are now at different stages, comparisons continue to emerge through increasingly specific statistics.

    Free kicks have become one of the most notable developments of Messi’s later career. The Argentine was rarely his team’s primary free-kick taker early on, but he has since established himself as one of the greatest specialists in football history.

    Ronaldo remains widely regarded as one of the game’s best long-range shooters. However, when it comes to direct free-kick goals, the statistics place Messi clearly ahead of the Portuguese forward.

    Messi scored two free kicks during his four-goal performance, moving within four goals of Marcelinho Carioca, the all-time leading scorer from direct free kicks. He also drew level with Jair Rosa Pinto on 74 goals.

    “La Pulga” scored one free kick before halftime and another in stoppage time. Between those goals, he added two more from open play to complete the first four-goal game of his MLS career.

    The performance also gave Messi his 62nd professional hat-trick and his 51st at club level. He has now scored 18 goals in the MLS regular season, moving to the top of the league’s scoring chart, and has registered 10 assists in the competition.

    Messi and Inter Miami face Atlanta United next

    Inter Miami’s next match is against Atlanta United on Saturday, September 5, at home. The club’s official schedule lists the game as its next MLS fixture after the meeting with Montréal.

    Messi will enter the match in outstanding form after scoring four times in his previous appearance. The focus will not only be on whether he can score again, but also on whether he can continue extending a statistical lead that once seemed almost impossible to build.

    As long as his legs continue to respond, Messi’s record collection appears far from complete. After a night featuring four goals and two direct free kicks, the question ahead of the Atlanta match is unavoidable: How much further can that lead grow?

    Source: www.marca.com

  • Lionel Messi Scores Four Goals as Inter Miami Net Seven in Record Win

    Lionel Messi Scores Four Goals as Inter Miami Net Seven in Record Win

    Lionel Messi scored four goals as Inter Miami defeated visiting CF Montréal 7-1 on Saturday, ending the club’s winless run in emphatic fashion and setting a new Miami record for most goals in a game.

    Messi opened his account in the 40th minute with a deflected free kick. He struck again in the 52nd minute after a remarkable solo run, then assisted Luis Suárez before completing his hat trick with a delicate chip over the goalkeeper with seven minutes of regulation time remaining.

    Messi added his fourth goal deep into stoppage time, curling a free kick with trademark precision into the side netting.

    Messi reaches another career milestone

    “That’s what it means to have Messi on the team,” Miami midfielder Casemiro told Apple TV. “We have to enjoy these moments because he is a person, a player that makes history.”

    We saw today that we have to enjoy it, keep supporting and keep competing with him because he continues to be the best. He proved it in the World Cup. We have to enjoy it because, with him, we are so much stronger.”

    The four-goal performance was the eighth of Messi’s career and his first since joining Inter Miami. His previous four-goal game came in February 2020, when he scored four times for Barcelona against Eibar in Spain’s LaLiga.

    At 39, Messi is also the fastest player in MLS history to reach 20 regular-season multigoal games, achieving the mark in 72 appearances. He leads MLS scoring this season with 18 goals in 19 games, two ahead of FC Dallas forward Petar Musa.

    “There are no words to describe such footballing beauty,” Miami interim coach Guillermo Hoyos, who was suspended for the game, said. “So much is going on that words simply fall short.”

    He is constantly looking for that goal, that play, that pass; I don’t think he’s an ordinary footballer. Analyzing him, both as a player and as a person, goes so deep that you run out of words.”

    Inter Miami ends five-game winless run

    The victory was Inter Miami’s first in MLS play since July 25 and ended a five-game winless streak in all competitions, including the Leagues Cup.

    Hoyos watched from the stands while serving a suspension for repeated violations of the league’s late kickoff policy. The club named Cristian ‘Kily’ Gonzalez as his permanent successor this week, but Gonzalez is still waiting for his work permits before beginning his new role.

    “The significance of this victory is huge for everyone,” Hoyos said. “First and foremost for the players, the team itself, who truly deserved it and still do. For the club, which also deserves it given the immense effort involved; and for all of us working together.”

    We all deserve this, and what we’re experiencing right now is truly a great blessing. It’s also important for the club’s objectives, coming at what I believe is a crucial moment.”

    Assistant coach Rafael Pérez led Miami in Hoyos’ absence. Casemiro opened the scoring with his first goal for the club since arriving in the summer, while 18-year-old Alexander Shaw scored Miami’s other goal in the 89th minute.

    The result keeps Inter Miami second in the Eastern Conference, 10 points behind Nashville SC. Montréal, which introduced new arrival and Messi’s former Barcelona teammate Alexis Sánchez in the second half, remains 14th, second to last in the Eastern Conference.

    Source: www.espn.com