Key Takeaways
- Lionel Messi and Inter Miami were held to a 2-2 draw by San Diego in Florida.
- Danish forward Anders Dreyer scored twice for San Diego.
- Messi scored his 101st goal for Miami but could not secure a win.
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami were frustrated by a 2-2 draw against San Diego in Florida on Sunday, a result that left Miami 11 points behind Nashville in the Major League Soccer Eastern Conference standings.
The match began with a surprise goal from Anders Dreyer, who capitalized on a through ball from Jeppe Tverskov, netting a delicate chip over Miami goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair after just 12 minutes.
Despite dominating possession and territory, Miami struggled to break through San Diego’s defense, with Messi’s 101st goal for the club coming in the 24th minute. The Argentine star curled a free-kick from the edge of the area, threading it through a crowded six-yard box and clipping the inside of the post before finding the net.
Miami continued to press, with Messi, Luis Suarez, and Rodrigo De Paul all having good chances, but San Diego managed to hold on, maintaining their lead until the 74th minute.
The deadlock was broken when De Paul released Suarez with a clever pass, and the 39-year-old Uruguayan veteran lashed home the finish, giving Miami a 2-1 lead with 10 minutes remaining.
San Diego, however, managed to equalize in the final stages of the game, with Dreyer scoring a second goal after Tverskov provided a pinpoint pass, finishing coolly to make the score 2-2.
The final 10 minutes saw a frenetic finish, with San Diego almost snatching victory deep into stoppage time. However, St. Clair blocked Kieran Sargeant’s late effort on the counter, securing the 2-2 draw for both teams.
With eight regular season games remaining, Miami’s hopes of overtaking Nashville at the top of the Eastern Conference have taken a significant blow.
