Nwobodo in action as Cincinnati eliminates Lionel Messi’s inter Miami from MLS play-off race

Inter Miami earlier edged past FC Cincinnati to advance to the final of the  US Open tournament, but Cincinnati have been able to exact their revenge 

Former Flying Eagles star Obinna Nwobodo played a crucial role for FC Cincinnati as they dashed Inter Miami's hopes of making the MLS playoffs, Soccernet.ng reports.

Cincinnati sought revenge for a previous loss to Lionel Messi's Inter Miami by securing a 1-0 victory, effectively ending the Herons' chances of reaching the MLS playoffs.

The two teams had previously clashed in the 2023 US Open Cup semi-final, with Cincinnati exiting the tournament after a 2-2 draw was decided by a 3-4 penalty shootout in favour of Inter Miami, who went on to win the trophy.

On Sunday, Cincinnati managed to exact some revenge as Alvaro Barreal capitalized on a rebound from Yuya Kuba to score the only goal of the match and secure victory for the away side.

Messi, who had been absent due to injury, came off the bench in an attempt to rescue Inter Miami from two consecutive losses but was unable to make an impact.

Nwobodo, who played the full 90 minutes, and his teammates put up a strong defensive performance to secure the victory for the away fans.

Barreal's late strike not only handed Messi his first defeat as an Inter Miami player but also dashed Miami's hopes of making a late surge for this season's MLS playoffs.

As a result, Messi will now be out of action at the club level until February of next year, unless he secures a short-term loan elsewhere.