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MIAMI: Lionel Messi recorded a hat trick and added an assist and Baltasar Rodriguez scored the tie-breaking goal as visiting Inter Miami used a second-half assault to defeat Nashville SC 5-2 in a Decision Day matchup on Saturday night.
Telasco Segovia also scored for Inter Miami (19-7-8, 65 points), who won their third straight game. Miami will be the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs and faces a rematch with No. 6 Nashville in the first round.
Sam Surridge and Jacob Shaffelburg scored goals for Nashville (16-12-6, 54 points), which didn’t allow a shot over the first 34 minutes before being badly exposed in the second half.
Messi finishes the regular season with 29 goals while all but clinching the Golden Boot.
Rocco Rios Novo made five saves for Miami, while Nashville’s Joe Willis had four stops.
Nashville was nursing a 2-1 lead in the second half until Andy Najar was called for a hand ball.
Messi took the ensuing penalty kick in the 63rd minute and easily sent a left- footed shot into the left corner of the net to tie the match.
The goal energized Miami and it moved ahead just four minutes later.
Luis Suarez took a right-footed shot that Willis knocked away. But the ball bounced over toward Rodriguez, who sent a right-footed shot past Willis to give Miami a 3-2 lead.
Messi was at it again in the 81st minute as he booted a left-footed shot into the lower left corner to make it 4-2.
In the first minute of second-half stoppage time, Messi had possession and closed in on Willis before feeding the wide-open Segovia, who kicked the ball into the net to finish off the flurry.
Miami outshot Nashville 17-15 and had a 9-7 edge in shots on target.
Nashville dominated play in the first half but led just 2-1 at halftime.
Miami’s initial shot came on Messi’s goal in the 34th minute. He received the ball from Jordi Alba and had three defenders to maneuver around before sending a left-footed shot into the left corner of the net.
Nashville responded in the 43rd minute when Hany Mukhtar sent a short centering pass to Surridge, who knocked in a header.
Nashville struck again in the sixth minute of first-half stoppage time. Mukhtar took a shot that caromed off the right goalpost and the ball went directly to Shaffelburg, who knocked it home to put Nashville ahead.

LONDON: Arsenal moved three points clear at the top of the Premier League as Leandro Trossard sealed a 1-0 win against Fulham on Saturday.
Belgian forward Trossard bagged his first league goal this season in the second half at Craven Cottage.
That was enough to clinch Arsenal’s fifth successive victory in all competitions and extend their unbeaten run to eight games.
Arsenal were installed as the bookmakers’ favorites to win the Premier League after Liverpool’s two successive defeats knocked the champions out of pole position.
Manchester City’s 2-0 win against Everton earlier on Saturday had taken them briefly above Mikel Arteta’s side into first place.
But the north Londoners regained top spot with an efficient if unspectacular performance by the banks of the River Thames.
“It is a really tough place to come. We have experienced that in the last few years. We put a lot into it. We had some giveaways in the first half, but we became more dominant throughout the game,” Arteta said.
“They have been together for many years, so they know how to adapt.”
Arsenal have won six of their eight league matches this season as they chase a first English title since 2004.
Fulham threatened an early opener when Harry Wilson’s reverse pass reached Raul Jimenez, but the Mexican’s effort was pushed away by Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya.
Pouncing on a misplaced pass by Gabriel Magalhaes, Wilson went close with a curler that flashed just past the far post.
Riccardo Calafiori thought he had given Arsenal the lead against the run of play, but the defender’s sweet strike was disallowed for offside after a VAR check.
Wilson almost squeezed a low drive past Raya from the edge of the area before Josh King’s cross forced the ‘keeper to tip the ball over his bar.
Running onto Bukayo Saka’s pass, Viktor Gyokeres was denied by a good save from Fulham ‘keeper Bernd Leno as the Arsenal striker’s goal drought reached seven games.
Calafiori volleyed over from 18 yards and Declan Rice drilled wide on the stroke of half-time.
Trossard’s wayward shot from close-range was followed by a goal-line clearance from Timothy Castagne moments later as Arsenal’s frustration mounted.
Arteta’s men nearly paid for those misses when Wilson lashed a fierce volley narrowly over.
But Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger, a noted Arsenal fan, was watching from the stands and the Gunners finally got some satisfaction in the 58th minute.
Arsenal’s set-piece prowess proved decisive as Gabriel flicked on Saka’s corner and Trossard converted from close range.
Arsenal have now scored 37 goals from corners in the Premier League since the start of the 2023-24 campaign.
The momentum was with the Gunners and Saka slalomed through the Fulham defense for a shot that forced Leno into a smart stop.
Arsenal were denied a penalty when Kevin’s challenge on Saka was initially ruled a foul before referee Anthony Taylor had to overturn his decision after VAR showed the Brazilian’s tackle made contact with the ball.
Gyokeres scored 97 times in 102 matches for Sporting Lisbon, but the Swede has just three goals for his new club.
His travails showed no signs of ending as he smashed over with the goal at his mercy, then fired straight at Leno, but Arsenal had already done enough to boost their title charge.