Inter Miami interim coach Guillermo Hoyos ran out of superlatives for Lionel Messi after the Argentine playmaker scored four goals in a Major League Soccer match for the first time in his career to inspire a 7-1 thrashing of CF Montreal on Saturday.
Messi’s four-goal haul and an assist came at a crucial time for Miami, helping them snap a five-game winless run across all competitions.
The 39-year-old restored Miami’s advantage shortly before half-time, struck again in the 52nd minute, completed his hat-trick in the 83rd and capped his dazzling display with a free kick in stoppage time.
The former Barcelona forward now tops the MLS scoring charts with 18 goals this season.
“There are no words to describe such footballing beauty,” Argentine Hoyos said. “So much is going on that words simply fall short.
“He is constantly looking for that goal, that play, that pass; I don’t think he’s an ordinary footballer. Analyzing him, both as a player and as a person, goes so deep that you run out of words.”
Messi, who won the 2022 World Cup, also captained Argentina to this year’s World Cup final, where they lost to Spain.
“That’s what it means to have Messi on the team,” Miami midfielder Casemiro told Apple TV. “We have to enjoy these moments because he is a person, a player that makes history.”
Casemiro, 34, joined Miami in July after his contract expired at Manchester United. The Brazilian and Messi spent years on opposite sides of one of football’s fiercest rivalries, with Casemiro starring for Real Madrid and Messi for Barcelona, but are now teammates.
“We saw today that we have to enjoy it, keep supporting and keep competing with him because he continues to be the best,” Casemiro added.
Joveljić scores twice on Sounders debut in 2-2 draw
Dejan Joveljic tallied twice in his Seattle Sounders debut in a 2-2 draw with the visiting Chicago Fire on Saturday afternoon.
Maren Haile-Selassie and Robert Lewandowski each had a goal and an assist for Chicago, who extended their MLS unbeaten run to five matches.
The Sounders have earned two straight draws after an eight- match losing streak in MLS matches.
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Joveljic, acquired Tuesday from Sporting Kansas City in a $6m deal, opened the scoring in the 12th minute. Following a throw-in on the left side of the field, the Sounders switched and moved the ball down the right wing, with Kalani Kossa-Rienzi sending a pass to Sebastian Gomez deep in the corner. Gomez’s low cross found Joveljic just outside the top of the 6-yard box and his one-timer skirted through the legs of Elliott and turned goalie Chris Brady into a pretzel as he crumpled to the turf.
The Fire tied it at 1-all in the 38th minute. Lewandowski took a pass from Andrew Gutman at the top left of the penalty area and fed Haile-Selassie, whose 17-yard shot from just left of center found the lower far corner of the net.
Joveljic scored again in the 48th minute. He took a pass from Rusnak just outside the top of the 18-yard box and lofted a shot that Brady got his fingertips on but the ball went off the underside of the crossbar and into the net. Snyder Brunell was credited with a secondary assist.
Teenager Cavan Sullivan continues electric form in Philadelphia Union win
Cavan Sullivan scored in the second half to become the first 16-year-old in MLS history with goal contributions in four straight matches, and the Philadelphia Union beat the New York Red Bulls 3-1 on Saturday night to extend their unbeaten streak to seven.
Sullivan found the net for a second straight match and third time this season in 34 career appearances to give Philadelphia a 2-0 lead in the 50th minute. He is the third player in league history age 18 or younger with a scoring contribution in four straight matches.
The Union took the lead in the 21st minute on Milan Iloski’s career-high 11th goal. Indiana Vassilev and Danley Jean Jacques both picked up their first two assists of the season on the first two goals.
Teenager Neil Pierre scored in the 65th minute for a 3-0 advantage. It was the fourth goal in seven appearances for the 18-year-old rookie midfielder. Bruno Damiani and Iloski had assists.
The Red Bulls avoided a shutout in the 74th minute when Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting netted his third goal of the season after scoring 17 times last year.
Andre Blake saved three shots for Philadelphia, which posted a 3-0-2 record in August.
Ethan Horvath had one save for New York (7-10-5), which has gone 0-3-1 since a 3-2 victory over Orlando City to begin the month.
Minnesota scores three times in four minutes, but Orlando City gets last laugh in 3-3 draw
Tyrese Spicer scored three minutes into second-half stoppage time and Orlando City salvaged a 3-3 draw with Minnesota United after blowing a two-goal lead on Saturday night.
Spicer used assists from newcomer Antoine Griezmann and Iván Angulo to score his career-high sixth goal for the equalizer.
Daryl Dike scored in the 28th minute to give Orlando City a 1-0 lead that stood through halftime. Dike’s first goal this season came in his first start and fourth appearance.
Griezmann took a pass from Justin Ellis in the 64th minute and scored his fourth goal in his seventh MLS appearance for a 2-0 advantage.
Minnesota United’s goals came in a four-minute flurry in the second half. The Loons got on the scoreboard in the 71st minute when Kelvin Yeboah and Kyle Duncan set up Marcus Caldeira for his second goal in his fifth appearance in the league. Defender Anthony Markanich scored his sixth goal three minutes later — with an assist from Joaquín Pereyra — to tie it 2-2. Yeboah found the net for the 11th time just one minute after Markanich scored to give Minnesota United a 3-2 lead.