Lionel Messi's MLS record streak of scoring two goals in a game ended at five as Inter Miami lost 3-0 to FC Cincinnati on Wednesday night.
On the other side of the ball, the home team's All-Star midfielder Evander kept a streak of his own going and set a Cincinnati record in the process by scoring in a fifth consecutive match.
As time ran down on the win for Cincinnati, chants of MVP could be heard coming from the stands at TQL Stadium in Ohio, but they were for the club's hometown hero Evander, not World Cup winner and Argentina legend Messi.
Evander's left-footed shot from the center of the box found the bottom right corner of the net to double Cincinnati's lead early in the second half after Gerardo Valenzuela had put the hosts up in the first half.
It was the first of two goals Evander scored in the second half, after coming up empty on multiple shot attempts in the first. The two goals bring his goal total to 15 in MLS regular-season competition.
Miami's offensive struggles -- combined with Cincinnati's stellar back line -- also spelled the end of the Herons' five-match winning streak as last year's Supporters' Shield winners were handed their first regular-season loss since May 18.
Prior to this game, Messi had scored two goals in each of his last five games for Miami, a record for MLS.
Cincinnati, which is now in second place in the Eastern Conference behind the Philadelphia Union, controlled most of the 45 minutes and six minutes of extra time in the first half, frequently working its way into the box and unleashing shots on goal.
Cincinnati had seven shots, four on goal, in the first half and finished the night with 11 and six, respectively.
The defense also kept Messi and the rest of the Herons in check throughout the first half. Every opportunity Miami had was thwarted by Cincinnati's strong back line.
Messi had two shot attempts late in the first half, but neither of them were converted to tie the match. His first shot was blocked by Cincinnati defender Lukas Engel, and his second attempt was saved by diving Cincinnati goalkeeper Roman Celentano.
Celentano made two saves for Cincinnati, his seventh clean sheet of the season. His goalkeeper counterparts, Oscar Ustari, who left in the first half with an injury, and Rocco Ros Novo, combined for four saves for Miami.
Miami finished the day in fifth place in the East, although the team has three games in hand and could make up much of the 8-point deficit separating it from the first-place Union.
Information from Reuters was used in this story.
