Inter Miami advanced to the next round of the Eastern Conference playoffs with a dominant performance and a magical night from Lionel Messi, who led his team to a commanding 4-0 victory over Nashville SC at Chase Stadium. The match started at a moderate pace, but after 10 minutes, the planet's best footballer opened the scoring: he took on the ball after a rebound collected by Tadeo Allende and finished with a precise, low cross, leaving goalkeeper Joe Willis helpless. The team led by Javier Mascherano controlled the match with ease. Messi was constantly fouled, managed every set piece, and came close to a second goal with a free-kick that was deflected by the wall. At the 32-minute mark, he was the protagonist again, this time as an assist provider, with a perfect pass to Baltasar Rodríguez, whose shot went just wide of the post. The team needed to show character after the blow suffered against Atlanta in the previous playoffs and was seeking to reach the conference semifinals for the first time. They did so with authority, even without being able to count on Luis Suárez, who was suspended for unsporting behavior after accumulating sanctions in various MLS incidents. Inter Miami firmly established itself among the league's best and will now face Cincinnati. That final blow knocked the visiting team out of the game, and they could no longer find clear paths to goal. The final blow came in the 27th minute on a play that reflected Inter Miami's collective talent: Messi combined in a one-two with Jordi Alba, the Spaniard broke through and played it back to Allende, who pushed the ball to make it 3-0. Seconds later, the former Talleres player scored again. This time, Messi set him up with a through pass, and the Córdoba player finished with a delicate chip over the goalkeeper, sealing the 4-0 score and extinguishing any hope for Nashville. The dominance was total, and before halftime, the well-deserved 2-0 arrived: Mateo Silvetti assisted the Rosarino, who pushed the ball to score his brace. At the start of the second half, Nashville found what seemed to be a consolation goal through Sam Surridge, but the referee immediately disallowed it for a previous foul on Maximiliano Falcón. It was a period of total inspiration from the captain and a display of overwhelming efficiency from the home side. The qualification comes in a particular context for Inter Miami.
