Messi Scores as Inter Miami Faces Tough Draw at Charlotte
Lionel Messi scored the equalizer as Inter Miami struggled to a 1-1 draw at home against Charlotte FC in MLS on Saturday.
Meanwhile, teams like Seattle Sounders, Houston Dynamo, New York Red Bulls, New York City, LAFC, and Orlando City all secured spots in the playoffs.
Despite their third consecutive draw, Miami, already guaranteed a playoff spot, still leads the Eastern Conference and the overall standings.
Charlotte took the lead in the 57th minute when a shot by Brandt Bronico deflected off Karol Swiderski, beating Miami’s goalkeeper, Drake Callender.
This goal pushed Miami to respond more urgently. Jordi Alba sent a cross to Messi, but his header went straight to Charlotte’s keeper, Kristijan Kahlina. Kahlina then saved another Messi attempt from outside the box. Shortly after, Messi found just enough space to send a left-footed shot into the bottom corner, scoring his 15th goal of the season.
In the 77th minute, Miami thought they had earned a penalty when Diego Gomez was challenged by Charlotte’s defender, Adilson Malanda. The referee initially awarded the penalty and gave Malanda a second yellow card, but VAR overturned the decision, ruling that Malanda had played the ball.
Miami had one last chance in stoppage time when Alba headed the ball across the goal, but Luis Suarez, pressured by Kahlina, missed from close range.
With 65 points and three games left, Miami remains ahead of Columbus Crew (57 points) and Cincinnati (56 points) in the Eastern Conference. Miami can secure the Supporters’ Shield with a win or draw against Columbus on Wednesday. Coach Gerardo Martino reminded everyone to keep the recent draws in perspective, saying the team has made huge improvements from their past struggles.
Elsewhere, New York City dominated the “Hudson River Derby” with a 5-1 win over New York Red Bulls, securing a playoff spot for both teams. Orlando City boosted their playoff chances with a 3-1 win over FC Dallas, and LAFC, last year’s finalists, booked their playoff spot with a 2-1 win over FC Cincinnati. Results from other matches also confirmed that Seattle and Houston made the playoffs before their game later that day.
