Miami 'outclassed' as historic Messi streak ends

Lionel Messi's MLS record streak of scoring two goals in a game ended at five as Inter Miami lost 3-0 to host FC Cincinnati on Wednesday night.

On the other side, the home team's All-Star midfielder Evander kept a streak of his own going and set a Cincinnati record by scoring in a fifth consecutive match.

As time ran down on the win for Cincinnati, chants of MVP could be heard coming from the stands at TQL Stadium in Ohio, but they were for the club's hometown hero Evander, not World Cup winner and Argentina legend Messi.

"Yes, I think we were clearly outclassed today," Miami coach Javier Mascherano said after the game. "From the start of the match, we struggled a lot, especially in the individual encounters, to win. Perhaps one of the reasons is that we were physically very stressed, and in the long run, that ends up costing us.

"Unfortunately, we didn't play the game we wanted from the start. They put us under pressure all the time. We struggled, we weren't fresh, we couldn't be sharp, and well, the truth is, they beat us very well."

Evander's left-footed shot from the center of the box found the bottom right corner of the net to double Cincinnati's lead early in the second half after Gerardo Valenzuela had put the hosts up in the first half.

It was the first of two goals Evander scored in the second half, after coming up empty on multiple shots in the first. The two goals bring his goal total to 15 in MLS regular-season competition.

Miami's offensive struggles -- combined with Cincinnati's stellar back line -- also spelled the end of the Herons' five-match winning streak as last year's Supporters' Shield winners were handed their first regular-season loss since May 18.

"Obviously, I'm worried about losing," Mascherano said. "I'm obviously worried when the opponent outclasses us, and today the opponent was outclassed from start to finish."

Before Wednesday, Messi had scored two goals in each of his past five games for Miami, a record for MLS.

Cincinnati, which is now in second place in the Eastern Conference behind the Philadelphia Union, controlled most of the 45 minutes and six minutes of extra time in the first half, frequently working its way into the box and unleashing shots on goal.

Cincinnati had seven shots, four on goal, in the first half and finished with 11 and six, respectively.

The defense also kept Messi and the rest of the Herons in check throughout the first half. Every opportunity Miami had was thwarted by Cincinnati's strong back line.

Messi had two shot attempts late in the first half. His first shot was blocked by Cincinnati defender Lukas Engel, and his second attempt was saved by diving Cincinnati goalkeeper Roman Celentano.

Celentano made two saves for Cincinnati, his seventh clean sheet of the season. His goalkeeper counterparts, Oscar Ustari, who left in the first half because of an injury, and Rocco Ríos Novo, combined for four saves for Miami.

"As for Oscar's situation, it's still not very recent," Mascherano said. "We don't have any results of what it could be, so surely tomorrow, with some tests, we'll be able to verify the extent of the injury."

Miami is now fifth place in the East, although the team has three games in hand and could make up much of the eight-point deficit separating it from first-place Philadelphia.

Without making excuses, Mascherano also addressed the team's injury issues over the course of the season, and added that a jam-packed summer, including four games at the Club World Cup, had probably affected the team's overall fitness and intensity.

"Regarding injuries, I'm not a specialist. It clearly worries me because, in the end, the team has been suffering from a lot of muscle injuries all season," Mascherano said. "The intensity of the games we've played, especially in the last month and a half, has been very, very high. But, well, we also clearly have to find some explanation, improve, and try to avoid it because obviously the team is gradually deteriorating with injuries."

ESPN's Lizzy Becherano contributed to this report, and information from Reuters was also used.