Messi helps Miami catch Red Bulls by their horns

Lionel Messi had two goals and two assists, Telasco Segovia also scored twice, and Inter Miami beat the New York Red Bulls 5-1 on Saturday night.

It was Messi’s sixth multi-goal game in his last seven matches.

Messi became the fifth player in MLS history to record at least 35 goals and 25 assists over a two-year span, joining Robbie Keane (2013-14), Sebastian Giovinco (2015-16), Carlos Vela (2018-19), and Cucho Hernández (2023-24).

Miami scored two goals in three minutes midway through the first half to take the lead. Messi’s beautiful pass to Jordi Alba tied it at 1-all in the 24th minute. Then Messi’s lofted pass over the defense led to Segovia’s first goal.

Messi scored on a breakaway in the 60th and he chested down Luis Suárez’s pass for a left-footed blast in the 75th for his 18th goal of the season.

Miami (12-4-5) has dominated the past three matchups with the Red Bulls, winning 6-2 on May 3, 2024 and 4-1 on May 3, 2025.

New York (9-9-6) lost for just the second time at home this season, dropping to 8-2-2. The Red Bulls’ 26 points through their first 11 home matches this season had ranked second in franchise history.

It was the most goals allowed by New York this season.

Meanwhile, Hugo Cuypers and Jack Elliott each scored a goal, and Chris Brady recorded his third clean sheet of the season to help the Chicago Fire beat Montreal 2-0 on Saturday night.

Chicago (9-9-5), which secured its seventh road win, also scored two goals at Atlanta on Wednesday to surpass last year’s total output of 40. The 44 goals are the most since the Fire scored 55 in 2019.

Montreal (3-15-6) remains on pace to complete its worst season in the club’s 32-year history.

Chicago opened the scoring in the 13th minute. Two quick passes forward led to Leonardo Barroso breaking away and hitting the post, leaving Cuypers for the rebound to reach 13 goals on the season.

Chicago doubled its lead in the opening 10 minutes of the second half when Elliott headed in a corner kick for his first goal with the club.

It was Montreal’s first game without a goal since May 31 against the New England Revolution.

Elsewhere, Danny Musovski scored two goals, his first multi-goal game since 2020, Pedro de la Vega added a goal and an assists and the Seattle Sounders beat the San Jose Earthquakes 3-2 on Wednesday night.

San Jose (7-9-8) is win-less in six straight. De la Vega, on a breakaway, slipped a shot from outside the area inside the back post to cap the scoring in the 69th minute.

San Jose’s Preston Judd opened the scoring in the 26th minute but Danny Musovski answered for the Sounders (10-6-7) in the 28th to make it 1-1.

Jamar Ricketts played a low cross from the left side to the near post where Judd put away a first-touch shot before Musovski beat defender Dave Romney and goalkeeper Daniel De Sousa Britto - known simply as “Daniel” - to an arcing ball in played by Albert Rusnák and scored on a header into a wide-open net.

Agencies