Lionel Messi helped Inter Miami come from behind to beat FC Cincinnati in a penalty shootout, making it eight successive victories since the start of his Inter Miami career.
Inter Miami won the Wednesday night U.S Open Semi-final 4-5 on penalties after the match ended 3-3 on regular time. The victory kept Inter Miami’s and Messi’s hope of clinching a treble alive.
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FC Cincinnati opened the score sheet in the 18th minute through efforts by Luciano Acosta, with a Brandon Vasquez 53rd-minute strike making it 2-0.
Leonardo Campana pulled one back from a Messi cross at the 68th-minute mark to help to give the visitors a lifeline, Nevertheless, the World Cup winner appeared to be in for his first loss while wearing an Inter Miami jersey.
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In the 70th minute, Josef Martinez leveled the scores handing Inter Miami its Second goal forcing the match to go on extra time after the lapse of 90 minutes.
However, Messi received the ball on the edge of the box in the seventh minute of extra time and sent in a beautiful pass that Campana again got his head on to send the game into overtime.
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In the 114th minute, Cincinnati made it 3-3 when Yuya Kubo took on a ball at the edge of the box and curled it into the far side of the net, Sergio Busquets not quite able to close him down in time.
Inter Miami nailed all their spot kicks to propel them to victory barely a week after they beat Nashville SC in a shootout.
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The star-studded Inter Miami squad that saw World Cup winner Messi play alongside his former teammate at Barcelona Jordi Alba and Busquets was assembled by Inter Miami co-owner and former England Midfielder David Beckham.
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