Lionel Messi scored his sixth and seventh goals of the season, also adding six assists, as Inter Miami overcame an early deficit to visit Nashville SC on Saturday night (April 20). They won 3-1.
Messi's second goal of the game came from the penalty spot late in the second half, effectively clinching the result. Messi started the weekend one goal behind the five players tied for first in MLS with six goals, including Miami teammate Luis Suarez.
Sergio Busquets also scored for Inter Miami (5-2-3, 18 points), which won back-to-back league games for the first time this season.
Nashville (1-3-4, seven points) took an early lead thanks to a Miami own goal off a well-made corner kick by Daniel Lovitz, but couldn't avoid a second straight loss.
Nashville SC manager Gary Smith pulled goaltender Elliott Joseph Panicco and brought in Joe Willis at halftime after Panicco gave up two runs and had some sloppy distribution from behind. .
Miami's midfielder Diego Gomez was injured and left the field on a stretcher in the 41st minute. In the 51st minute, Nashville defender Lucas McNaughton was sent off with his own issues.
Miami led 2-1 at the end of the first half, but had one clearance at the goal line on both ends and could have had more if Messi hadn't hit the post.
Before that, Nashville took the lead in the second minute when Lovitz took an inswinging corner kick from the right that hit defender Franco Negri in the thigh and into his own net.
The advantage lasted only nine minutes, with Messi's first goal allowing the Herons to equalize.
Suarez's deft first-touch pass freed Messi to the left of the penalty area, and the Argentine calmly finished low past Panicco.
Next it was Miami's turn to take advantage of a corner kick. Messi sent a pass from the right towards the near post, and Busquets met it with a header past Panicco, giving Panic little time to react.
Messi's penalty in the 81st minute came after Joshua Bauer clearly fouled Leonardo Furgis Afonso.
