Lionel Messi leads Inter Miami past Vancouver for first MLS title

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Dec. 6 (UPI) — Lionel Messi was a camouflaged predator until he found his moment, leading Inter Miami to the MLS Cup crown Saturday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

“The MLS Cup was the ultimate prize,” Messi, who was named MLS Cup MVP, said on the Apple TV broadcast.

“We did an extraordinary effort as a team. We played 58 games. We made it to a Leagues Cup final. We won the Leagues Cup final as soon as I arrived, but this is the moment I’ve been waiting for and that we as a team were waiting for,” he said.

The famous No. 10, who was often enveloped by Vancouver Whitecaps white jerseys, limiting his potency, weathered the pressure until finally breaking through — but it came as a key contributor.

Messi’s clutch steal and two assists in the second half of the 3-1 triumph at Chase Stadium proved to be lethal shrapnel for the Herons’ northern visitors.

Striker Tadeo Allende and midfielder Rodrigo De Paul scored for Miami. With his goal, Allende set an MLS record for the most scores (nine) in a single postseason.

But it was a steal from the Herons’ eight-time Ballon d’Or winner that changed the game. Messi skipped through the grass on his right boot, while using his magic left to pick the ball off Andres Cubas’ cleat in the 71st minute.

He followed a quick weave with a velvet pass ahead to De Paul, who broke a 1-1 deadlock with a shot into the far-post netting.

Messi added another helper when he fed Tadeo Allende in stoppage time.

With the victory, the Argentine added to his unprecedented trophy room, which already featured a dozen domestic titles — 10 La Liga crowns and two Ligue 1 titles.

He also fulfilled a prophecy for the Herons, bringing them their first league title and helped longtime friends and teammates Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets enter retirement as MLS champions.

“Obviously that was one of the main objectives, to say goodbye to good friends that now are stepping into a new life,” Messi said.

Saturday’s match was a clash of styles, and it showed off the first touch. Whitecaps center back Tristan Blackmon led a physical defense, which bothered the pink shirt-clad opposition.

The Whitecaps dominated possession and logged 100 more passes than the Herons in the first half, but trailed through the first 45 minutes because of an own goal from right back Edier Ocampo in the 15th minute.

Luck was on the Herons’ side, with multiple Whitecaps shots rattling posts. Herons goalie Rocco Rios Novo also provided brilliant blocks in net, including a point-blank range save of an Emmanuel Sabbi shot in the 38th minute.

Messi nearly doubled the Herons’ lead in the 56th minute, but had a header sail wide left.

It was the Whitecaps who found the net next, with Ali Ahmed beating Rios Nova with a one-touch equalizer in the 60th minute. The Whitecaps nearly took their first lead when Sabbi drilled the right post just minutes later.

But Messi unearthed his mettle midway through the second half, steering the Herons back in front with his takeaway and assist to De Paul.

The two-time MLS MVP again used his buttery touch to gracefully guide a long ball down to his feet near midfield in the 96th minute. Messi volleyed his next touch ahead for Allende, who buried a right-footed finish past Whitecaps goalie Yohei Takaoka.