Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi during the game between Nashville SC and Inter Miami on Wednesday, March 13, 2023 at Chase Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
It was the Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez show again versus Nashville on Wednesday.
After salvaging a 2-2 draw at Nashville in Leg 1, Inter Miami had no trouble cruising past the Coyotes with a 3-1 win in Leg 2.
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Messi and Suarez scored both goals in the first leg and did more of the same in the second.
Suarez got Miami going early in the eighth minute, with Messi finding the Uruguayan on a slick through ball.
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Then in the 23rd minute, 20-year-old Diego Gomez made a splitting run in the final third before the ball fell to Messi, who smashed it home with his strong foot.
Soccer
The game slowed for Miami after that as Nashville gradually grew into it in search of a comeback.
With Messi subbing out in the 50th minute, Miami lacked an elite ball carrier and tempo setter to keep the pace.
But before Nashville could get on the board, Miami finished it off with a third goal in the 64th minute. Suarez set up Robert Taylor, who came on for Messi, for a neat header to make it 3-0.
Hany Mukhtar, Nashville's best player and 2022 MLS MVP, struggled to create anything of substance throughout, and his lone moment of brilliance didn't count. Mukhtar thought he pulled one back for Nashville early into the 80th minute, but he was narrowly offside.
Sam Surridge then got a consolation goal in stoppage time after tapping home a Shaq Moore cross, but it was too late.
USMNT center-back Walker Zimmerman missed out for Nashville due to an injury.
With Miami through, it will play the winner between Liga MX's Monterrey and MLS side FC Cincinnati in the quarterfinals. Cincinnati lost Leg 1 1-0 at home, so it has work to do at Monterrey's ground.
In MLS, Miami will be at D.C. United on Saturday while Nashville will host Charlotte on the same day.
