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Lionel Messi's Inter Miami teammate Noah Allen has backed his side to break the record for most points won in a regulation MLS season. The American defender is confident they can secure all three points against the New England Revolution.
Inter Miami have had an excellent campaign in the MLS this season. Tata Martino's side lead the Eastern Conference standings by 11 points ahead of second-placed Colombus Crew.
Inter Miami have earned 71 points from 33 fixtures this season and are close to setting a new record. The Herons will face New England Revolution in their final game of the regular season on 19 October after the international break.
They could break the Revs' record for most points won in a regular MLS season if they secure all three points, and Noah Allen is confident Inter can do so. Speaking to the press after Inter Miami's 1-0 win over Toronto, Allen was asked how his side were feeling about their pursuit of the record.
He said (via Inter Miami News):
“We want to get the record, so [we are feeling] very positive, we are very happy to get the result and keep building on it. We have one more game left and we’re going to go out there to win to get the record.”
Lionel Messi has scored 19 goals and provided 12 assists in 21 appearances across competitions for the Herons this season.
Tata Martino explains why Lionel Messi did not start Inter Miami's 1-0 win over Toronto
Tata Martino has detailed his reasons for starting Lionel Messi on the bench in the Herons' victory over Toronto at the BMO Field on Saturday (5 October). Martino's men secured a narrow 1-0 win, courtesy of Leonardo Campana's second-half stoppage-time winner.
Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba were all excluded from the starting XI. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner came on at the hour mark, replacing Robert Taylor.
Speaking after the game, Martino explained that he made the decision beforehand to rest some of his players. When asked why Lionel Messi was benched, the Argentine boss said:
“We made the decision on Friday to rest the players, it made sense after two full games that we make some rotations, and we had players ready to go. We were able to complete our two objectives. One was to give players some rest and also to win the game because of what it means from a motivational standpoint to be in position to break the points record.”
