Messi scores twice, assists in Miami's 4-2 win over Montreal
Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi (10) reacts after scoring a goal during the first half of an MLS soccer match against CF Montreal, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Lionel Messi scored twice and had an assist, and Inter Miami broke out of its slump with a 4-2 rout of Montreal on Wednesday night.
Messi scored in the 27th and 87th minutes and set up Luis Suárez's goal with some nice dribbling in the 68th. Suárez added another in the 71st.
The win gave Messi's slumping Inter Miami team just its second victory in its past eight matches. Miami last won on May 3, going 0-2-2 since then and dropping to sixth in the Eastern Conference.
It has been a surprising plunge for a team that went 22-4-8 during the regular season in 2024 to set MLS records for points (74) and winning percentage (.765) and captured the Supporters Shield.
In its last match, Miami rallied from a two-goal deficit to tie Philadelphia, and that momentum carried over against Montreal, which is last in the Eastern Conference with just one win this season.
Messi's first goal on Wednesday was set up by Sergio Busquets, who delivered a pass to his former Barcelona teammate and set the screen that freed up Messi for his seventh goal of the MLS season.
Messi then linked up with Suárez to give Miami a two-goal cushion midway through the second half, and iced the win on a pass from Suárez just before the end of regulation.
It was a much needed goal for Suárez, who finished last season tied for the second-most goals in MLS (20) but had just two goals entering Wednesday's match.
Dante Sealy and Victor Loturi scored for Montreal.
It was also the offensive performance Miami needed before it begins Club World Cup play. The Herons have another MLS match at home on Saturday against Columbus before their first contest of the tournament against Al Ahly of Egypt on June 14.
This report by The Associated Press was first published on May 28, 2025.
Alanis Thames, The Associated Press
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
2 hours ago
- CBC
Vancouver Whitecaps suffer blowout 5-0 defeat at CONCACAF Champions Cup
The Vancouver Whitecaps couldn't make history as the first Canadian team to win the CONCACAF Champions Cup Sunday. Instead, Ángel Sepúlveda scored twice and Cruz Azul routed the Whitecaps 5-0 to win its seventh CONCACAF title. Sepúlveda finished with a tournament-best nine goals. Ignacio Rivero, Lorenzo Faravelli and Mateusz Bogusz also scored for Cruz Azul, which built a 4-0 lead by halftime. The Liga MX club tied crosstown rival Club America for most titles in the tournament. It was Cruz Azul's first title since 2013-14 when La Máquina beat Tijuana. The Whitecaps were hoping to be the first winner from Major League Soccer since the Seattle Sounders in 2022. Cruz Azul had four shots on goal in the first half and scored on all of them. La Máquina took advantage of a defensive lapse by the Whitecaps, and Ignacio Rivero coolly finished with his left foot in the seventh minute in front of cheering home fans at Estadio Olímpico Universitario. Faravelli's goal came after a similar defensive lapse, struck from distance and went into the net after hitting the post. After Sepúlveda's sliding goal in the 37th, Bogusz added a goal in the 45th just before the teams went into the break. Sepúlveda added another goal on a header in the 50th. It was Cruz Azul goalkeeper Kevin Mier's fourth clean sheet of the tournament. The Whitecaps had no shots on goal during the match. Vancouver was without Sebastian Berhalter because of yellow card accumulation. He scored in both legs of the semifinal against Lionel Messi and Inter Miami. The Whitecaps had hoped that captain Ryan Gauld would return from a knee injury in time for the game, but he was not available. Cruz Azul advanced with a two-legged victory over UANL Tigres. It was the first meeting between the Whitecaps and Cruz Azul.
National Post
4 hours ago
- National Post
6 injured in Colorado flamethrower attack on rally for Israeli hostages
BOULDER, Colo. — Six people were injured Sunday in what the FBI immediately described as a 'targeted terror attack' at an outdoor mall in Boulder, Colo., where a group had gathered to raise attention to Israeli hostages held in Gaza. Article content Article content The suspect, identified as 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman, yelled 'Free Palestine' and used a makeshift flamethrower in the attack, said Mark Michalek, the special agent in charge of the Denver field office. Soliman was taken into custody. Article content We are aware of and fully investigating a targeted terror attack in Boulder, Colorado. Our agents and local law enforcement are on the scene already, and we will share updates as more information becomes available. @FBI — FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) June 1, 2025 Article content Article content Soliman was also injured and was taken to the hospital to be treated, but authorities didn't elaborate on the nature of his injuries. Article content Article content Video from the scene showed a witness shouting, 'He's right there. He's throwing Molotov cocktails,' as a police officer with his gun drawn advanced on a bare-chested suspect with containers in each hand. Article content The attack took place at the popular Pearl Street pedestrian mall, a four-block area in downtown Boulder, where demonstrators with a volunteer group called Run For Their Lives had gathered to raise visibility for the hostages who remain in Gaza as a war between Israel and Hamas continues to inflame global tensions and has contributed to a spike in antisemitic violence in the United States. It occurred more than a week after the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington by a Chicago man who yelled 'I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza' as he was being led away by police. Article content Article content FBI leaders in Washington said they were treating the Boulder attack as an act of terrorism, and the U.S. Justice Department — which leads investigations into acts of violence driven by religious, racial or ethnic motivations — decried the attack as a 'needless act of violence, which follows recent attacks against Jewish Americans.'
National Post
4 hours ago
- National Post
Scheffler wins again at Memorial; Stark takes U.S. Women's Open
Article content DUBLIN, Ohio — Scottie Scheffler never lost the lead and never gave anyone much of a chance down the stretch Sunday in another relentless performance, closing with a 2-under 70 for a four-shot victory to join Tiger Woods as the only repeat winners of the Memorial. Article content Article content Slowed by hand surgery at the start of the year from a freak accident, Scheffler appears to be in full stride with one major already in the bag and another around the corner at the U.S. Open. Article content On one of the tougher PGA Tour tests of the year, Scheffler made one bogey over the final 40 holes at Muirfield Village. He finished at 10-under 278. Article content Ben Griffin tried to make it interesting at the end with a 12-foot eagle on the par-5 15th and a 25-foot birdie putt on the par-3 16th to close within two shots with two to play. Scheffler, however, doesn't make mistakes. Griffin made double bogey on the 17th. Article content Griffin made a 4-foot par on the 18th for a 73 to finish alone in second, worth $2.2 million, more than what he earned when he won at Colonial last week. Article content Sepp Straka (70) finished another shot back. Article content Scheffler now has won three times in his last four starts — the exception was Colonial, a tie for fourth the week after winning the PGA Championship — and expanded his margin at No. 1 in the world to levels not seen since Woods in his peak years. Article content Woods is a five-time winner at Memorial who won three straight from 1999 through 2001. No one had repeated at Muirfield Village since then until Scheffler. Article content Article content Maja Stark of Sweden continued the steady play she demonstrated all week to win the U.S. Women's Open at Erin Hills in Wisconsin for her first major championship.
