Inter Miami player ratings vs NYCFC: Lionel Messi dominates with brace as Herons run riot in the Big Appl

By the time the fourth goal hit the back of the net, the crowd in Queens was experiencing euphoria. Many had been there to see Lionel Messi, admittedly, and saw him they did. New York fans got a look at Messi at his magical best, and they got a look at just how dangerous Inter Miami can be when these nights happen as the club sealed a 4-0 win over New York City FCLed by two Messi goals to go with an additional assist, the scoreline suggests Inter Miami dominated NYCFC at Citi Field. In truth, it was closer than that for much of the match. Miami seized the lead in the first half on a goal from Baltasar Rodriguez and, from there, both teams had chances. Miami, though, was the team that made the most of them. More specifically, it was Messi who did just that.After teeing up Rodriguez with a through-ball on that opener, Messi scored Miami's second in the 74th minute, chipping the ball over goalkeeper Matt Freese to kickstart a goal barrage. Luis Suarez added a third goal from the penalty spot nine minutes after, before Messi put an exclamation point on it all with an 86th-minute solo finish to turn a close game into a blowout.For those who follow MLS, this was one of those nights where Miami showed what they could be. Dominant in the attack and led by Messi's magic, there's no team in this league that can go blow-for-blow or goal-for-goal with this team.Can they create more of them going forward? With just five games left in the regular season, the Herons will hope so. Suarez is back from suspension, and Messi is seemingly keeping his MVP push going with another dominant performance. With those two leading the charge, Miami showed that, even against a very good NYCFC team, they can still reach a different level on their night.