Inter Miami's standout player, Lionel Messi, scored two goals to help his team beat Nashville 3-1 on Saturday, securing their lead in Major League Soccer's Eastern Conference.
As reported by The Express Tribune, Miami suffered an early setback when their defender Franco Negri deflected a corner from Daniel Lovitz into his own net in just the second minute of the game at Chase Stadium.
Gerardo Martino's team have now failed to keep ma clean sheet in each of their last 11 games and it could have been worse when three minutes later Josh Bauer blasted a shot against the bar.
But Messi soon had Miami on level terms -- the Argentine set free by a clever flick from Diego Gomez saw a shot parried out by Nashville keeper Elliot Panicco, but after Luis Suarez directed the loose ball back to him Messi slotted home to make it 1-1 in the 11th minute.
Messi's efforts continued to drive Miami's offense, but they suffered another blow when Diego Gomez got injured.
However, Messi's former Barcelona teammate, Sergio Busquets, scored a header just before halftime, giving Miami a lead.
Nashville came out strongly after the break but despite their efforts in the second half, Miami sealed the victory with Messi scoring a penalty in the final minutes.
Despite the win, coach Gerardo Martino expressed concerns about the team's slow start.
"Regardless of how fortunate their goal was, we didn't start well in the first few minutes. They were more focused, more intense, they handled the ball better, they pressed," he said.
"There are a lot of things we need to correct, but I'd like to do it with the full squad. We have seven or eight players out which is a lot in a league as strict as MLS with the roster and budget issues," he further said.
Meanwhile, in other MLS matches, Columbus Crew drew with Portland Timbers, and Cincinnati secured a win against Atlanta United.
