Messi Marks Return as Miami, Union Draw 2-2
Lionel Messi marked his return from personal tragedy with a goal and an assist, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Inter Miami being held to a fiery 2-2 draw at Philadelphia Union on Wednesday night, in a match that swung on missed chances, a controversial video review, and ended with two players sent for an early bath.
The Union struck first inside 11 minutes when Indiana Vassilev found the net with a well-taken volley, silencing the away support at Subaru Park. Inter Miami hit back quickly, though. Messi’s delivery was headed on by Luis Suarez into the path of teenage forward Daniel Pinter, who slotted home his first MLS goal to level things up. Eight minutes later, Messi himself turned provider into finisher, cutting inside onto his favoured left foot from the edge of the box and curling a precise effort into the corner to put the visitors ahead — his first goal since returning to action following the death of his father, Jorge Messi.
Philadelphia continued to push and were denied an equaliser just before half-time when Neil Pierre’s header was cleared off the line. The rest of the contest tilted back Philadelphia’s way as Miami seemed content to sit deep and soak up pressure a tactic that has troubled the Union’s build-up play throughout the campaign. It nearly backfired when Pierre headed home in the 58th minute to level the score at 2-2, continuing his fine recent form in front of goal. Four minutes later, Milan Iloski thought he’d won it for the hosts, only for the goal to be chalked off by VAR for an offside in the build-up — a moment that summed up an evening where both sides created enough to win it but couldn’t find the finishing touch.
Tempers frayed as the clock ran down. Deep into stoppage time, the match ended with two players being sent off after Miami’s Yannick Bright and Philadelphia’s Cavan Sullivan were shown straight red cards following an off-the-ball scuffle, adding a sour note to what had otherwise been an absorbing contest.
Miami boss Guillermo Hoyos was honest in his assessment afterwards, admitting he’d have preferred all three points but conceding it had been an evenly-matched contest that demanded hard work just to salvage a share of the spoils. The result leaves Inter Miami unbeaten in six meetings with the Union this season, while Philadelphia sitting top of the Eastern Conference extend their own unbeaten run to nine matches in all competitions, a point that keeps both sides’ momentum ticking over even as chances went begging at both ends.
