🏆 Messi sends Inter Miami to a second final in two weeks | OneFootball

Two late Leo Messi assists saw Inter Miami book their place in the US Open Cup final, defeating FC Cincinnati on penalties.

Scorers: Acosta 18′, Vazquez 54′, Kubo 114′ ; Campana 68′, 90+7′, Martínez 93′

Cincinnati were keen on not becoming Miami’s latest victim in the early going, as they shut off the service from Miami’s midfield into Lionel Messi.

The hosts’ plan worked from the off, and they were rewarded for their efforts inside 20 minutes when Luciano Acosta sent his shot into the back of the net off of a Miami defender.

After the break Cincinnati continued to threaten while limiting Miami’s threat going forward. They doubled their lead in style less than 10 minutes into the second half through Brandon Vazquez, who fired home from outside of the box.

Cincinnati saw their lead cut in half past the hour mark from a set-piece thanks to Leo Campana, who headed home a Messi cross with aplomb to quiet the TQL Stadium.

As if sticking to the script that has been written week on week since his arrival, Messi popped up once again to pick out Campana in the seventh minute of stoppage time to level the scoreline and send the semifinal tie into extra-time.

The visitors’ turnaround looked to be completed just minutes into extra-time, as Josef Martínez was played in behind before firing home, but his strike was answered in the second-half by Yuya Kubo to reclaim parity and send the tie to penalties.

After high-quality penalties, Miami youngster Benjamin Cremaschi capitalised on a Cincinnati miss to fire the visitors into the final.

Miami now await the winner of Real Salt Lake and Houston Dynamo.