Lionel Messi had a goal and three assists and Tadeo Allende scored twice as Inter Miami beat FC Cincinnati 4-0 Sunday to advance to its first Eastern Conference final.
Miami will host New York City FC, a 1-0 winner over the Philadelphia Union in the other conference semifinal, on Saturday. The winner advances to the MLS Cup on Dec. 6.
“Proud of how the team played on a very, very difficult field and against a very, very tough opponent,” Miami head coach Javier Mascherano said through a translator. “I think from the first minute it wasn’t about holding back. It was about going after the game and being ourselves. I think today the players played a virtually perfect match.”
Messi set an MLS playoff record with 12 goal contributions (six goals, six assists).
Cincinnati had the second-best overall record in MLS behind Philadelphia after winning the Supporters Shield last season.
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