MLS Cup: Lionel Messi's brace helps Inter Miami to seal semi-final match against FC Cincinnati

Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi is all smiles after his goal against Nashville on Saturday. PIC/AFP

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami are three wins away from an MLS Cup title. Messi scored a pair of first-half goals and added two assists, leading the way as third-seeded Inter Miami ousted sixth-seeded Nashville SC 4-0 on Saturday night in the decisive Game 3 of their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series.

Tadeo Allende scored a pair of goals about three minutes apart - both set up by Messi - in the second half to blow the game open for Inter Miami, which outscored Nashville 8-3 in the series. Messi had a hand in all eight of those goals, scoring five and assisting on the other three.

Inter Miami will go to FC Cincinnati for an East semifinal match - everything now is single-elimination, unlike Round 1's best-of-three format - on November 22 or
November 23. Messi is the heavy favorite to win his second straight MLS MVP award, and if that happens he would be the first back-to-back winner in league history.

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