Messi's Goal Streak Ends; Inter Miami Falls to Cincinnati 3-0

Cincinnati, Jul 17 (AP) — Inter Miami faced a setback as Lionel Messi's remarkable streak of scoring multiple goals in five consecutive matches came to a halt on Wednesday night. They suffered a 3-0 defeat to FC Cincinnati.

Cincinnati took the lead in the first half with a goal from Gerardo Valenzuela, followed by two second-half strikes courtesy of Evander. This victory places Cincinnati just one point behind the Philadelphia Union in the Eastern Conference standings. The Union emerged victorious over CF Montreal with a 2-1 win on the same night.

This defeat marks the end of a five-match winning streak for Inter Miami (11-4-5), which currently stands fifth in the Eastern Conference standings. Notably, Messi has now set a record in MLS by becoming the first player to achieve a streak of scoring multiple goals in more than four consecutive matches, maintaining a tally of 16 goals in 17 MLS appearances.

Since his arrival in MLS, Messi has faced Cincinnati in three matches, and the team has proven to be a challenging opponent for the renowned eight-time Ballon d'Or winner. Cincinnati posed an early threat with four shots on target in the first 16 minutes, while Inter Miami failed to register any. Valenzuela scored his fifth goal of the season by angling a shot from the left side of the box to give Cincinnati a 1-0 lead.

Messi's first attempt at goal came late in the first half, during stoppage time, but it was comfortably saved by goalkeeper Roman Celentano.

Evander scored his 14th goal of the season and 50th in MLS, putting Cincinnati ahead 2-0 less than five minutes into the second half. Notably, Cincinnati had previously led the Columbus Crew by two goals on Saturday but eventually lost 4-2.

This time, Cincinnati managed to secure their lead by effectively neutralizing Inter Miami, led by Messi. Evander sealed the victory with a goal from a rebound after Luca Orellano's shot was deflected by the keeper, extending the lead to 3-0.

Messi had another scoring opportunity in the 78th minute, but Celentano made a diving save to deny the effort from close range.

At the age of 38, Messi has been actively participating, playing 90-plus minutes in eight consecutive games, including four Club World Cup matches. Interestingly, during one point in the second half, he covered the least distance among all players on the pitch.

Cincinnati was without their second-leading scorer, Kevin Denkey, due to a leg injury. The team is scheduled to visit Real Salt Lake, while Inter Miami will face the New York Red Bulls on Saturday night. AP KHS KHS

(Only the headline of this report may have been reworked by Editorji; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)