Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano hailed Lionel Messi as "extraordinary" after the Argentine superstar steered the club into their first MLS Cup final with a 5-1 thrashing of New York City FC on Saturday.
A Tadeo Allende hat-trick and goals from Mateo Silvetti and Telasco Segovia sent a revitalised Miami roaring into Major League Soccer's championship game next Saturday at their home field in Fort Lauderdale.
While Messi did not get on the scoresheet, the 38-year-old provided a crucial, classy assist for Miami's third goal, scored by Silvetti, that effectively killed off the game as New York chased an equaliser.
"Leo has accustomed us to the extraordinary," Mascherano said of his former Barcelona and Argentina teammate.
"He's someone extraordinary, someone we'll never see again. Today, perhaps we're surprised that he didn't score, but he gave us peace of mind with the third goal, an assist that only he can see. He practically sealed the game."
Miami will host Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday, after the Canadians beat San Diego FC 3-1 in the Western Conference final.
RUTHLESS DEMOLITION
Messi and his teammates will head into that game bristling with confidence after another ruthless, high-scoring demolition job that followed on from their 4-0 drubbing of FC Cincinnati in the previous round.
Allende – who scored twice in the victory over Cincinnati – was once again the focal point of the Miami attack.
The 26-year-old Argentine forward opened the scoring in the 14th minute after cleverly springing the New York offside trap and then headed in a superb second to make it 2-0.
New York rallied back with a headed Justin Haak goal in the 37th minute, and came within a whisker of an equaliser when Julian Fernandez forced a fine one-handed save from Miami goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo in the 66th minute.
That near miss was to prove crucial.
Miami immediately swept upfield, and a flowing move saw Rodrigo De Paul and Jordi Alba combine before Messi slipped a pass to Silvetti, who rifled home to make it 3-1.
Segovia then eliminated any doubt with Miami's fourth in the 83rd minute before Allende completed his hat-trick a minute from time to spark wild celebrations.
The victory leaves Miami just one win away from completing a remarkable transformation after a season that appeared to be unraveling in disarray earlier in the campaign after a string of defeats.
"The real credit goes to the players who embraced where we wanted to go," Mascherano said. "We strengthened as a group and reached the end of the season with a brotherhood within the team, where everyone pulls together, and it doesn't matter who starts.
"We are a group, and the power of a group is unbreakable."
FLAMENGO BEAT PALMEIRAS 1-0 TO WIN COPA LIBERTADORES
Elsewhere, Flamengo defeated Palmeiras 1-0 to win the Copa Libertadores on Saturday, becoming the most successful Brazilian team in the history of South America’s top club competition by lifting the title for a fourth time.
A second-half headed goal from Flamengo centre-back Danilo settled a scrappy encounter at the Estadio Monumental in Lima – the fifth Libertadores final in the past six seasons to feature two clubs from Brazil.
Flamengo's win avenged their 2-1 defeat to Palmeiras in the 2021 Libertadores final and leaves the famous Rio de Janeiro club firmly on course for a hat-trick of trophies in 2025.
Flamengo began the year with victory in the Brazilian Super Cup and need only two points from their remaining two league fixtures to clinch Brazil's domestic championship.
Flamengo's third win in the tournament since 2019 and fourth overall put them level with Argentina's Estudiantes, three behind another Argentinian club, Independiente, with seven titles.
Palmeiras, meanwhile, were left ruing a golden chance to equalize in the 89th minute, when Vitor Roque blasted over the bar from point-blank range.
That was to be arguably the best Palmeiras chance of a mostly fractious final littered with 33 fouls and seven yellow cards shared between the two teams.
A scrappy first half saw Flamengo enjoy the better chances, with Bruno Henrique the first to trigger alarm in the Palmeiras ranks with a 15th-minute strike that flew high and wide.
Flamengo continued to find space down the flanks, and moments later, Samuel Lino threatened to break the deadlock, cutting in from the left and flashing a shot wide.
That, though, was as good as it got for Flamengo in the first half, and the men in red and black were fortunate not to be reduced to 10 men after 30 minutes following a melee that erupted when Palmeiras defender Bruno Fuchs brought down Flamengo star Giorgian de Arrascaeta.
As tempers flared, Flamengo's Chilean international Erick Pulgar flew in and kicked out at Fuchs, yet somehow escaped only with a yellow.
Flamengo again looked the more threatening team after halftime while struggling to create clear-cut chances.
The breakthrough finally came on 67 minutes, when Arrascaeta swung in an inviting corner from the right.
Danilo – inexplicably left unmarked – rose unchallenged to head home for what would be the winning goal.