Messi scores twice as Inter Miami beat Atlanta United 3-1

Lionel Messi scored two second-half goals four minutes apart and set up another as Inter Miami beat Atlanta United 3-1 on Saturday night, The Associated Press reported.

The match drew more than 10,000 searches in Canada on Saturday, according to Google Trends.

Germán Berterame opened the scoring in the final minute of the first half with assists from Messi and Luis Suárez, his ninth goal in 26 MLS appearances, the AP said. Messi then scored his league-leading 24th and 25th goals in the 56th and 60th minutes, with Berterame assisting on both and Suárez on the second, ESPN and the AP reported.

Messi’s 15th assist of the season tied him with Los Angeles FC’s Son Heung-min for the league lead and made him the first player in MLS history with at least 15 assists in three straight seasons, according to the AP. He and Josef Martínez are the only players to score at least 25 times in a regular season twice. Messi, who won last season’s Golden Boot with 29 goals, has 40 goal contributions this season, nine shy of Carlos Vela’s 2019 record, with four matches left.

Canadian goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair made two saves for Miami and lost his shutout bid when Fafà Picault scored on a penalty in the 89th minute, the AP reported. Lucas Hoyos made two saves for Atlanta.

Inter Miami clinched a playoff berth earlier this month, and the win kept the club second in the Eastern Conference behind Nashville SC in ESPN’s standings. Miami plays at the New York Red Bulls next Saturday, while Atlanta hosts the Chicago Fire.

The result came on the same day Toronto FC beat the Red Bulls 2-0 to stay in the Eastern playoff race. Messi, who led Argentina at this summer’s World Cup in North America, was in tears after the final, as we reported in July.

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Sources: The Associated Press via WSVN; ESPN; Google Trends Canada.