Saturday’s clash is a decisive one for Inter Miami and Nashville SC. They face off in Game 3 of the first round of the Major League Soccer Playoffs, with both sides fighting to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals. Lionel Messi found the net early to give his team the lead.
The Herons had secured a solid win in Game 1 two weeks ago at Chase Stadium but failed to replicate that performance in Tennessee. That setback forced them into a decisive third game, where there is no room for error. Just as in 2024, a home defeat would bring their season and title hopes to an abrupt end.
With that in mind, Messi appeared determined to lead his team to the Eastern Conference semifinals. He doesn’t want to finish 2025 without lifting a trophy, and to achieve that, his only path is to win the MLS Cup with Inter Miami. That determination seemed to spread to the rest of the squad, who from the opening whistle looked focused and motivated to get past Nashville.
At the nine-minute mark, Ian Fray won the ball high up the field, setting the stage for Messi to launch an attack from his favorite spot. He drove toward the defenders from the right side, cut inside toward the middle, and from the edge of the box fired a precise low shot that slipped inside goalkeeper Joe Willis’s right post — leaving him with no chance to stop it.
* Developing story
