Messi scores and leads Inter Miami to a thrilling draw against San Diego in MLS
Inter Miami vs San Diego match in MLS (Photo: Agencies)
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – Inter Miami settled for a 2-2 draw with San Diego, in the match that brought them together at dawn today in the American Football League, despite the brilliance of Argentine star Lionel Messi and scoring one of his team’s goals.
Messi started for Inter Miami—alongside Luis Suárez, Rodrigo de Paul, and Casemiro—in a match the team entered in high spirits, having recently clinched the friendly Champions Cup title with a 2–0 victory over Mexico’s Cruz Azul.
San Diego opened the scoring after Anders Dreyer capitalized on a defensive error by the hosts in the 12th minute; he broke through on goal and easily found the back of the net, putting his team in the lead.
Inter Miami sought a quick way back into the match, and Messi delivered in the 24th minute; the 39-year-old Argentine star curled in a direct free-kick that eluded everyone and found the back of the net, bringing his team back into contention.
After the equalizer, Inter Miami kept up the pressure in search of a go-ahead goal, until Luis Suárez succeeded in giving the hosts the lead in the 74th minute.
The goal was set up by Rodrigo de Paul, who delivered a precise pass to Suárez inside the penalty area; the Uruguayan striker then fired the ball into the San Diego net, putting Inter Miami ahead 2–1.
However, San Diego did not give up; Dreer managed to make his mark again in the 82nd minute, scoring his second goal of the match to level the score, and the game ended in a 2–2 draw.
With this result, Inter Miami raised their tally to 46 points, securing third place in the MLS Eastern Conference standings, while San Diego reached 31 points, sitting in tenth place in the Western Conference.
Inter Miami continues its pursuit of the MLS title, relying on a group of its top stars—foremost among them Messi, Suárez, and De Paul.