Messi scores twice as Inter Miami beats Atlanta 3-1

Inter Miami defeated Atlanta United 3-1 on October 17 as Lionel Messi scored twice in four second-half minutes, helping the club maintain its position near the top of the Eastern Conference and move closer to an MLS single-season scoring record. Germán Berterame opened the scoring for Miami in the 45th minute. Messi made it 2-0 in the 56th minute and added another goal in the 60th. Fafà Picault converted a penalty for Atlanta in the 89th minute, leaving the visitors with a two-goal victory. The win came with four regular-season matches remaining. Reports put Messi’s league total at 25 goals and 15 assists, or 40 goal contributions. That is nine short of the 49-contribution mark Carlos Vela set for Los Angeles FC in 2019. Reaching the mark would require Messi to average more than two contributions per remaining match. Miami had secured a playoff place and stood second in the Eastern Conference in reports published October 18. The result extended the club’s winning run to three matches, according to match coverage. Messi’s 25 goals also put him among a small group of players to reach that total in multiple regular seasons; reports said he and Josef Martínez are the only players...