Nine goals over six games, one appearance in the finals. At Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday night, Inter Miami CF defeated the Philadelphia Union 4-1 in the Leagues Cup playoffs, continuing Lionel Messi’s remarkable play.

Messi, Josef Martnez, and Jordi Alba all scored in the first half to give the away team an unstoppable lead as Miami advanced to the first Leagues Cup final by winning all of its games since the Argentine World Cup champion joined the team in July.

In the late semifinal on Tuesday night, Nashville SC—which defeated Liga MX club Monterrey 2-0—will take against Gerardo Martino’s group. On Saturday night in Nashville, they’ll perform in the finale.

By making it to the final, Miami also guaranteed itself a spot in the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup, a first for the team.

Martino announced that “the team has advanced to the final of an international competition.” “Qualifying for the Concacaf Champions Cup was one of the objectives; now we must get ready to try to win the title, if at all possible. We are driven and self-assured, but we are also intent on improving in every way. This club should be fiercely competitive.

Jim Curtin, the manager of the opposing team, was even more disappointed because the Union had already lost on penalties in the MLS Cup final last year, advanced to the 2023 Concacaf Champions League playoffs this spring, and lost in the 2021 MLS Eastern Conference finals.

After the game, Curtin stated, “It takes a whole team effort to have a shot against a team like Miami. We made too many blunders in the first 20 to 30 minutes, so they penalized us. We weren’t there in the first half, but they were excellent.

It’s painful to lose and give up four goals. It doesn’t feel right to leave that field after giving up four.

Miami scored early and never looked back, as it has done the whole League Cup. Soon after kickoff, Martinez scored, giving it five goals in the opening 15 minutes of Leagues Cup games.

After that, Messi increased Miami’s advantage with the second-longest goal of his career, beating Union goalkeeper Andre Blake with a low line drive from 31.8 meters away for his ninth Leagues Cup goal.

Alba gave Miami its third goal as the Union, who had been without a home loss all season, attempted to leave for the locker room down two goals. The former Barcelona great calmly blasted past Blake to make it 3-0 after sneaking around the defense and grabbing a through ball from Robert Taylor.

“The impact that Leo, [Sergio Busquets], and Jordi have had on the group, they pass on this confidence to the young players, and they have this commitment related to the game,” stated Martino. “[Busquets] is working really hard, especially to recover balls, and his teammates can feel it.

“The squad has changed; our roster is now more competitive, making it challenging for the coach to choose a starting lineup. The younger players are developing gradually. It’s fantastic for any team.

Chris Donovan squandered a clear-cut opportunity to put Philadelphia ahead before seeing Miami goalkeeper Drake Callender save his goal-bound header early in the second half as the home team attempted in vain to get back into the game.

Later in the second half, Alejandro Bedoya succeeded in bringing the home team within one goal, but substitute David Ruiz scored Miami’s fourth goal of the game to put an unlikely comeback well out of reach for Curtin’s club.

The squad has scored 21 goals in six games since Messi’s debut in Miami, including four goals in each of those games. It had only managed 22 in 22 MLS games prior to his arrival.

“Amazing crowd, wonderful mood. Pink: How much of it was there? Certainly,” Curtin replied. “It’s going to be the same wherever [Messi] goes. He is the greatest athlete to ever play our sport on a worldwide scale. And he is modest. 먹튀검증토토사이트 He is a winner because he consistently produces when he isn’t required to.

“He’ll go to a final now, hurts we’re not the ones to go.”