CINCINNATI: Lionel Messi’s MLS-record streak of scoring multiple goals in five straight matches ended on Wednesday night in Inter Miami’s 3-0 loss to FC Cincinnati.
Cincinnati got a first-half goal from Gerardo Valenzuela and two second-half strikes from Evander to remain one point behind the Philadelphia Union in the Eastern Conference standings. Philadelphia beat CF Montreal 2-1 on Wednesday night.
The loss ended a five-match winning streak for Inter Miami (11-4-5) which is fifth in the Eastern Conference standings.
“Very pleased with the performance,” Cincinnati head coach Pat Noonan said. “Our guys were up for it.”
Messi is the first player in MLS history to have a multi-goal streak of more than four matches. He is second in the league with 16 goals.
Messi has only played in three matches against Cincinnati since coming to MLS, but the team has made things difficult for the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Cincinnati had four shots on target in the first 16 minutes to none for Inter Miami, and took a 1-0 lead when Valenzuela angled a shot from the left side of the box for his fifth goal of the season.
Messi’s first shot came in the final minute of first-half stoppage time and landed comfortably in the arms of keeper Roman Celentano.
Evander’s 14th goal of the season, and 50th in MLS, put Cincinnati ahead 2-0 less than five minutes into the second half.
Cincinnati (14-3-6) also had a two-goal lead on Saturday against Columbus but lost 4-2 to the Crew.
Cincinnati held on this time by neutralizing Inter Miami’s attack, led by Messi.
“From the beginning they pressured us,” Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said, via a translator. “It does worry me that they were better beginning to end. We have to rest and look forward to Saturday.”
Evander sealed the victory when he made it 3-0 with a goal off a rebound when Luca Orellano’s shot caromed off the keeper.
Messi had a chance in the 78th minute, but his close-range shot was saved by a diving Celentano.
The 38-year-old Messi has played 90-plus minutes in eight straight games, including four Club World Cup matches. At one point in the second half, he had covered the least amount of distance of any player.
Cincinnati played without second-leading scorer Kevin Denkey due to a leg injury.
“Obviously a tough game,” Miami midfielder Yannick Bright said. “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.”
Up next
Cincinnati visits Real Salt Lake and Inter Miami is at the New York Red Bulls on Saturday night.
Messi’s multi-goal streak ends in Inter Miami’s 3-0 loss to FC Cincinnati
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Messi’s multi-goal streak ends in Inter Miami’s 3-0 loss to FC Cincinnati
- Cincinnati got a first-half goal from Gerardo Valenzuela and two second-half strikes from Evander to remain one point behind the Philadelphia Union in the Eastern Conference standings
- Messi is the first player in MLS history to have a multi-goal streak of more than four matches
Zimbabwe surprise as T20 World Cup Super Eights begin without Australia
- Pakistan and New Zealand will clash in Colombo on Saturday as the second “Super Eights” phase of the T20 World Cup kicks off
- India carry hopes of millions of cricket-obsessed fans of winning back-to-back T20 World Cups and lifting the trophy on home soil
Kolkata: Pakistan and New Zealand will clash in Colombo on Saturday as the second “Super Eights” phase of the T20 World Cup kicks off without former champions Australia, who shockingly failed to make it out of their group.
Instead, surprise packages Zimbabwe, who did not even qualify in 2024, topped Group B after a stunning unbeaten campaign where they not only beat Australia but also co-hosts Sri Lanka.
An injury-depleted Australia endured a chaotic campaign and failed to make the second phase of the T20 World Cup for the first time since 2009.
Australia’s acerbic media did not hold back in their criticism, citing selection “stuff-ups” and “shambolic” preparations, including a 3-0 pre-tournament series loss in Pakistan, for the embarrassment.
Australia coach Andrew McDonald admitted his players were “devastated” but any inquest into the failure would only begin “when we exit the shores here.”
India, the world number one-ranked T20 side, are hot favorites to retain their crown on home soil.
However, in the second round they face a tough rematch of the 2024 final against an in-form South Africa in Ahmedabad at a packed 130,000-capacity Narendra Modi stadium on Sunday.
Both teams came through the first round phase with four wins from four.
India are on a 12-match unbeaten run at the T20 World Cup, stretching back to their defeat in the semifinal against eventual winners England in 2022.
No team has won back-to-back T20 World Cups or lifted the trophy on home soil, and India have the hopes of hundreds of million of cricket-obsessed fans on their shoulders.
But India have not been consistent and have a problem at the top of the order with their number one-ranked batter Abhishek Sharma recording three consecutive ducks.
Their batting has looked shaky and India were 77-6 against the United States before coming through to win.
Also in Super Eights Group 1 are Zimbabwe and the West Indies, who meet in Mumbai on Monday, with all that group’s games being hosted in India.
ENGLAND YET TO FIRE
The West Indies toppled England convincingly in the group phase and the two-time champions have all-round strength in depth.
They won the T20 World Cup the last time it was hosted in India, in 2016, and have started in clinical fashion, winning all four group games.
They will be extremely wary of Zimbabwe, whose colorful band of traveling supporters have had plenty to cheer so far. Even a washout against Ireland could not dampen their spirits.
In Sri Lanka, Group 2 pits the co-hosts against England, Pakistan and New Zealand.
The top two from each group will advance to the semifinals.
Pakistan were the last team to secure their berth. They did so by beating Namibia by 102 runs, with captain Salman Agha calling it a “complete performance” as they bounced back from a group defeat to bitter rivals India.
Another pre-tournament fancy, England stumbled through their group matches in Mumbai and Kolkata, losing to the only Test-playing side they faced, the West Indies.
Harry Brook’s side were unconvincing in wins against minnows Nepal, Scotland and finally Italy, who were making their World Cup debut.
But they return to a happy hunting ground in Kandy to face Sri Lanka on Sunday at a venue where England swept a T20 series 3-0 this month, with Sam Curran taking a hat-trick along the way.
Their top order needs to find form, with explosive openers Jos Buttler and Phil Salt yet to make a telling score and Brook failing to fire.
Sri Lanka have also been hot and cold.
Pathum Nissanka scored a superb century on Monday to all but end Australia’s tournament.
But they lost to Zimbabwe in their final group game, although Nissanka was in the runs again with 62.
