FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Lionel Messi and Inter Miami are three wins away from an MLS Cup title.

Messi scored a pair of first-half goals and added two assists, leading the way as third-seeded Inter Miami ousted sixth-seeded Nashville SC 4-0 on Saturday night in the decisive Game 3 of their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series.

Tadeo Allende scored a pair of goals about three minutes apart — both set up by Messi — in the second half to blow the game open for Inter Miami, which outscored Nashville 8-3 in the series. Messi had a hand in all eight of those goals, scoring five and assisting on the other three.

Inter Miami will go to FC Cincinnati for an East semifinal match — everything now is single-elimination, unlike Round 1’s best-of-three format — on Nov. 22 or Nov. 23. Cincinna

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