Morgan hat trick sees Red Bulls rout Messi-less Miami

Lewis Morgan scored three goals against his former team as the host New York Red Bulls beat Inter Miami 4-0 on Saturday in Harrison, New Jersey.

Miami star Lionel Messi missed his third straight match with a mild right hamstring injury. Miami (3-2-1, 10) points fell to 1-2-0 without him due to its inability to stop Morgan, who spent two seasons with them before joining the Red Bulls.

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Morgan notched his second career hat trick in MLS competition as the Red Bulls (3-1-1, 10 points) bounced back from last week's loss. He now has five goals in five matches after missing the final weeks of last season due to hip surgery.

Morgan, whose other hat trick was March 5, 2022, scored in the third minute, again in the 51st and finished off his big day with another tally in the 70th. It was the third hat trick in MLS this season and the 19th in team history. Morgan became the fourth player with multiple hat tricks for New York.

Wikelman Carmona also scored in the 66th and Dante Vanzeir had four assists for the Red Bulls.

With Carlos Coronel away from the team due to international duty, backup goalie Ryan Meara stopped two shots for RBNY. Meara notched his eighth career clean sheet and first since 2020, and he was aided when video review nullified a goal by Noah Allen in the 77th.

Miami starting goalkeeperDrake Callender was unavailable due to international duty and CJ dos Santos allowed four goals on six shots.

Morgan scored his first goal after several passes helped New York move closer to the box. Vanzeir flicked a pass to Morgan, who drew Miami defender Tomas Aviles near him in the center of the box. His right-footed shot trickled by dos Santos' leg into the right corner of the net.

After a Miami giveaway, Morgan made it 2-0 by sneaking a right-footed shot from the center of the box past dos Santos. Carmona made it 3-0 by blasting a left-footed shot from the left side into the net after Morgan kept the play alive.

Morgan scored his third goal by finishing off a left-footed shot from the left side after Vanzeir raced past Allen.