First-half strikes from Germán Berterame and Rodrigo De Paul, paired with a late Dayne St. Clair penalty save, secured Cristian González his first consecutive victories since taking charge in South Florida.
Inter Miami CF secured qualification for the 2026 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs on Wednesday night, defeating New York City FC 2-0 at Nu Stadium behind first-half goals from Germán Berterame and Rodrigo De Paul.
The victory guarantees the club a postseason berth for the third straight year and fifth time overall. With five regular-season fixtures remaining, the three points strengthened Miami's hold on second place in the Eastern Conference, elevating the squad to 52 points from 29 matches.
Cristian González’s side established control midway through the first half after weathering a competitive opening spell. Miami generated an early opportunity in the 12th minute when Sergio Reguilón met Gonzalo Luján's cross with a header that forced a save from New York City goalkeeper Matt Freese.
In the 20th minute, Lionel Messi controlled possession outside the penalty box and slid a pass to De Paul. The midfielder delivered a lofted diagonal ball to find Luis Suárez along the endline, where the Uruguayan forward redirected a first-time pass across the face of goal. Berterame arrived unmarked at the center of the penalty area to finish cleanly into the net, snapping a personal goal drought that had stretched back to May. The strike was Berterame's eighth of the regular season and marked Suárez's 10th league assist.
Miami doubled the lead in the fifth minute of first-half stoppage time on a rapid counterattack. Berterame advanced across the midfield stripe before slipping the ball rightward to Messi on the flank. Messi drew three retreating defenders toward him before using the outside of his left boot to thread a pass into the path of De Paul. The midfielder took one touch and fired a right-footed shot high into the upper corner past Freese. The goal was De Paul's fifth of the campaign, with Messi earning his 14th assist of the league season.
New York City FC struggled to create dangerous openings against an organized Miami back line anchored by Brazilian defender Casemiro. The Bronx club arrived in South Florida searching for form, having managed only one victory across its previous 11 MLS fixtures.
Miami continued generating attacking opportunities after the interval. Messi sent a curling 20-yard effort over the crossbar midway through the second half. As the match approached full time, Messi played a short corner to De Paul, whose dipping blast toward the top corner forced a diving save from Freese, who tipped the ball against the upright. Substitute Riquelme Filippi then struck the left post during stoppage time as Miami pushed for a third goal.
New York City earned a chance to pull a goal back in the 97th minute after Miami defender Ian Fray clipped substitute attacker Talles Magno inside the penalty area. Midfielder Nicolás Fernández stepped up to take the spot kick, but Canadian international goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair guessed correctly, diving low to his right to turn the shot around the post and preserve the shutout.
The denial sealed a second straight clean sheet for St. Clair and Miami, offering tangible proof of defensive stability after the club had conceded goals in 10 consecutive matches prior to the current stretch.
The result produced the first back-to-back league victories for González since the Argentine tactician took charge as head coach last month.
“I'm leaving happy. Obviously, there's a lot to improve, but we're making progress little by little,” González said during his postmatch remarks.
The manager praised his team's disciplined positioning, noting their work in neutralizing NYCFC transitions.
“I really liked how we handled dropping back into defensive shape. We didn't get caught out on the counter and were very aggressive, breaking up plays whenever a sudden transition from them looked likely,” González said. “Perhaps our ball circulation was a bit too slow at times, but that's just how the game played out.”
Messi played another prominent role following a two-goal outing on Saturday, his first appearance since returning from his farewell match with the Argentina national team.
Although conference leader Nashville remains out of reach, Miami strengthened its grip on postseason home-field advantage. The team visits Atlanta United FC at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday.
Source:
Messi's Inter Miami beat New York City to reach third straight MLS playoff October 15, 2026
MATCH RECAP: Inter Miami CF Secures Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs with 2-0 Home Win Against NYCFC October 14, 2026
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