With five goals and one assist, Lionel Messi achieved a new performance this Saturday in Inter Miami’s 6-2 defeat of the New York Red Bulls, while Los Angeles FC (LAFC) crashed 3-1 on their visit to a San Jose Earthquakes who had only won one of their ten games so far.
Those five assists by Messi in a single game are a new record in the MLS.
The genius from Rosario was very well accompanied by the Uruguayan Luis Suárez, who performed at a sensational level with a hat-trick (his first hat-trick with the Florida team); and the Paraguayan Matías Rojas, who completed the exhibition with a double for an Inter Miami that came back and scored all of his goals in the second half.
With four wins in a row, Inter Miami is the leader of the East with 24 points after 12 games.
Cincinnati is second in that conference with 21 points after 11 games after beating Orlando City 0-1 with a goal from Argentine Luciano Acosta, MLS MVP in 2023, when only 17 seconds of the match had been played.
Both teams finished with ten due to the expulsions of Argentine Rodrigo Schlegel and Bret Halsey.
The surprise of the day came in the Californian derby that the Earthquakes, in which the Argentine Hernán López made his debut, won 3-1 against LAFC with goals from the Brazilian Rodrigues, Amahl Pellegrino and an own goal from Denis Bouanga.
The great figure of San José was the Argentine Cristian Espinoza with two assists and an Olympic goal that, however, technically appeared as an own goal because it was slightly touched by Bouanga.
The goal of honor for the Angelenos, who lost 3-0 in the West’s bottom field, was sealed by Uruguayan Cristian Olivera.
Real Salt Lake remains at the top of that conference after beating Sporting Kansas City 1-0 with a header in the 81st minute by Colombian Cristian Arango, who has already scored nine goals this season.
Another notable name this Saturday in the MLS was Sam Surridge, who shone with a hat trick in Nashville’s 4-1 victory against Montreal.
In Chicago, the New England Revolution took the 0-1 victory against the Fire with a fantastic left foot shot by Argentine Tomás Chancalay.
Also key was the header from Honduran Kervin Arriaga, which was one of the two goals with which Minnesota United emerged victorious over Atlanta United (1-2).
For his part, Colombian Cristian Dájome contributed with a goal to give DC United a 2-0 lead but the Philadelphia Union reacted and tied the match 2-2.
Finally, Charlotte beat the Portland Timbers 2-0, Toronto beat Dallas 3-1 and the Houston Dynamo and St. Louis City shared the points without goals.
Two more games will be played on Sunday: New York City-Colorado Rapids and Seattle Sounders-LA Galaxy.
