Player Ratings: Inter Miami dominates FC Cincinnati in 4-0 win

Inter Miami are on their way to the Eastern Conference final after a lopsided 4-0 win over rivals FC Cincinnati.

After heavy debates between fans and pundits about who would start at the center forward position, Javier Mascherano stuck with the starting eleven that got the team past Nashville SC in the opening round.

That 'risk' paid off and then some.

In what was an offensive masterclass by Miami's front three, with Lionel Messi pulling the strings, the Herons were largely unplayable, with Messi, Tadeo Allende, and Mateo Silvetti combining for a total of four goals and assists.

Defensively, the Herons also held their own, with Jordi Alba, Noah Allen, Maxi Falcon, and Marcelo "Chelo" Weigandt (in for the injured Ian Fray), keeping a second straight clean sheet.

With either the Philadelphia Union or New York City FC to play in the next round, a powerhouse victory was needed in the semi-finals to carry momentum.

Here are Player Ratings from Inter Miami's win over Cincinnati.

*I’ll rate every player on a scale of 1 to 10, with 5-6 being average/below average. For the substitutes, I’ll judge accordingly. *

Goalkeeping/Defense

- Roco Rios Novo, 7.7: The youngster didn't have much to do, but did very well when called upon.

- Jordi Alba, 8.2: Was active up and down the left flank, and was integral in helping Miami not only keep a clean sheet, but keep the attack flowing.

- Maximiliano Falcon, 8: Like every other defender, the Uruguayan looked strong and did well to silence Cincinnati's attack.

- Noah Allen, 8: He was unfortunate to come off due to injury, but, much like his center back partner, did well to quiet a potent Cincinnati attack.

- Marcelo Weigandt, 7.9: The Argentine did well to step in for the injured Ian Fray! He was defensively sound and did well to support in attack.

Midfield

- Rodrigo de Paul, 7.9: The World Cup winner had a few wonky passes throughout the match, but he was always in the right place at the right time, whether that was in attack or disrupting passing lanes.

- Sergio Busquets, 8.1: Once again, the Spaniard is aging like fine wine. Busquets did well to keep the ball moving and was also in the thick of it defensively.

- Baltasar Rodriguez, 8: As a natural attacking midfielder, Rodriguez's inclusion in midfield has given Miami extra dynamism through the middle of the field.

Attack

- Mateo Silvetti, 9: Yeah, I don't think we'll see him getting dropped from the starting eleven anytime soon.

- Lionel Messi, 10: LOL..

- Tadeo Allende, 9.2: A lot of fans have been harsh on Allende, but games like this show that his skill set is invaluable to Miami's playing style.

Substitutes

- Tomas Aviles, 7: Though the game was already over by the time Aviles entered the game, he did well to prevent Cincinnati from scoring.

- Telesco Segovia, 7.2: The Venezuelan had a couple of good looks on goal during his cameo. It just goes to show how talented this Miami roster is, considering he can't get on the field.

- Luis Suarez, 6.9: The ex-Barcelona man was a good sport about not starting. Mascherano even said as much in his post-game comments:

- Gonzalo Lujan, N/A: Didn't play long enough to warrant a rating.

- Yannick Bright, N/A: Didn't play long enough to warrant a rating.

Coaching

One of Javier Mascherano's best-coached games of the year. The substitutes were spot on, the tactics and switches were seamless, and he also made the big call of sitting Luis Suarez despite his experience.