Lionel Messi collects 1 goal, 5 assists as Inter Miami blast Red Bulls

MIAMI: Lionel Messi had an MLS-record six goal contributions, Luis Suarez scored three times and Matias Rojas recorded a brace as Inter Miami thumped the New York Red Bulls 6-2 on Saturday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Messi, who was named MLS Player of the Month for the month of April, scored once and added five assists as Miami (7-2-3, 24 points) extended its unbeaten streak to six matches and improved to 6-0-2 in league matches in which Messi has appeared in.

The loss snapped New York’s six-match unbeaten streak. Dante Vanzeir and Emil Forsberg had the goals for the Red Bulls (4-2-5, 17 points), who dropped to 6-4-0 in regular-season play against Miami.

Miami scored twice in a two-minute span early in the second half to erase a 1-0 deficit. Rojas was brought on for David Ruiz to start the second half and immediately made an impact, leveling the score at 1-1 in the 48th minute by putting a left-footed strike past a leaping Carlos Coronel. Messi picked up an assist on the goal.

Then, in the 50th minute, Messi put a left-footed strike off a Suarez pass into the back of the net for his 10th goal of the season. The Argentine has goals in his past seven league matches.

Miami took a 3-1 lead in the 62nd minute, as Rojas put a Messi through ball up and over Coronel. Suarez made it 4-1 in the 69th minute, redirecting a Messi pass for his eighth goal of the season. In the 75th minute, Suarez completed a give-and-go with Messi to make it 5-1.

Suarez completed the hat trick in the 81st minute, taking a Messi through ball and getting around a diving Coronel for his 10th goal of the season. Forsberg was awarded a second-half stoppage-time penalty kick and scored to cut Miami’s lead to four.

Miami dominated time of possession in the first half, but it was New York that had two shots on target and a 1-0 lead at the halftime whistle.

The Red Bulls opened the scoring in the 30th minute. Wikelman Jose Carmona’s strike hit the post, and the rebound bounced to Vanzeir, who put it past a diving Drake Callender for his second goal of the season.