Lionel Messi in stride as Inter Miami faces FC Cincinnati in East semis

Lionel Messi and third-seeded Inter Miami look to continue their deepest MLS Cup playoff run in club history when they visit second-seeded FC Cincinnati in a winner-take-all Eastern Conference semifinal on Sunday.

Messi was brilliant during Miami’s first-round three-game series victory over Nashville SC, scoring five goals and assisting on three more.

Inter Miami has dominated Nashville SC, posting a 7-1-3 record against them since Messi joined the team in the summer of 2023.

The Herons’ record against FC Cincinnati is in stark contrast: 0-3-3 in six meetings across all competitions since Messi’s arrival.

Cincinnati earned a 3-0 home win and 0-0 away draw in two league matches against Miami this season. But that came before the additions of two more Argentinian players to Miami’s roster in experienced midfielder Rodrigo de Paul and teen prospect Mateo Silvetti.

“I think a significant amount of (Inter Miami), of that starting lineup, has been different,” Cincinnati coach Pat Noonan said. “So sure, we look back at those games and say, ‘OK, what can we take from them?’ But like I’ve said in the past, you don’t want to go too far back. And in this case, we didn’t spend too much of our preparation looking at those games, just based on what it looks like now.”

Cincinnati has plenty of quality as well. Evander scored 18 goals and had 15 assists in his first season with the club, and Kevin Denkey added 15 goals. Additionally, Noonan’s group has posted a 4-0-1 record in its last five home matches, including playoffs, while conceding only three goals.

And as Miami striker Luis Suarez told the outlet SPORT in a recent interview, Cincy — like most MLS teams facing Messi and Miami — will have no issues getting emotionally motivated.

“For our rivals, playing against us is the match of the year, their day to shine, their chance to be in the spotlight, their big game. That’s how they approach it,” Suarez said to SPORT, as interpreted by BeIN Sports. “Last year, we (were eliminated) first in the playoffs and lost to the eighth-placed team. That is clear proof that nothing is easy.”