NY Red Bulls Dominate Inter Miami 4-0 in Messi's Absence

In a complete shutdown, Gerardo Martino-led Inter Miami suffered an unfortunate 4-0 defeat against the New York Red Bulls during their visit for the 5th day of the 2024 MLS Season. The Inter Miami squad, lacking the support of on-field talisman Lionel Messi due to injury, witnessed an impressive hat-trick by New York's Lewis Morgan and an additional goal by Winkelman Carmona.

Right from the start, New York Red Bulls made a powerful impact with Morgan breaking the ice just three minutes into the match. The ex-Inter Miami player showed consideration for his former team, showing muted celebration for his goals. Despite promising attempts by Luis Suárez-led efforts, Inter Miami couldn't muster a powerful enough response, and the first half concluded without damage to Red Bulls goalie Ryan Meara's clean sheet.

The second half saw further domination by the New Yorkers with Morgan delivering another goal, enlarging their lead to 2-0 only 51 minutes into the encounter. Carmona followed suit at the 66th minute, making the scoreline even grimmer for the Miami side. Morgan completed his hat-trick at the 70th minute, showcasing skill and control against his former team.

Compounding the misery, when it appeared that Miami's Noah Allen had scored a consolation goal, a VAR review overturned the decision, leaving Martino’s men without a single goal to their name.

Despite the crushing defeat, Inter Miami still manages to maintain a strong position in the Eastern Conference with 10 points, trailing behind Columbus Crew in goal difference and leading New York Red Bulls. The team is set to play against New York City FC next Saturday, March 30, with Lionel Messi still expected to be off the field due to his ongoing injury scenario.