Messi, Inter Miami beaten as Nashville level MLS Cup playoffs

Lionel Messi scored the only goal of the game in the 89th minute to keep Nashville SC alive in their MLS Cup round one playoff game against Inter Miami.

It was Inter Miami’s first win over Nashville since May 2023, putting an end to a 10-game winless streak.

At a rainy Geodis Park in Tennessee, Sam Surridge and Josh Bauer scored the opener, but the Miami side, led by Argentinian superstar Messi, couldn’t come up with a counterattack.

In the ninth minute, Surridge converted a penalty to give the hosts the lead, slotting a low shot to the right of diving Rocco Rios Novo, the hosts’ goalkeeper.

Rios Novo hesitated coming off his line to face a charging Surridge, and Nashville was given the spot kick.

On the cue of half-time, Bauer sent a left-footed shot that Hany Mukhtar floated in from a corner to give Nashville a 2-0 lead.

In the 66th minute, Nashville goalkeeper Joe Willis parried Luis Suarez’s close-range shot in the opening half of the second half.

Although Ian Fray’s quick attempt from inside the area was blocked, Miami soon regained control of the ball.

In the final minutes, Messi increased his game, getting his awkwardly angled shot from the right in the 85th minute blocked, and saving a blast from the center of the box in the 86th before finding the back of the net in the 89th.

The newly crowned MLS Golden Boot winner wrong-footed his defender and fired a left-footed shot into the top right corner to reduce the deficit to one. Rodrigo De Paul found Messi at the top right corner of the box.

A Messi brace helped Miami win the series 3-1, but they now face a crucial third game in Florida on Saturday.

It serves as an unwelcome reminder of the year before, when Miami entered the playoffs with the best regular-season record, defeated Atlanta United in their opening game, only to have won the next two and send them packing.

The series winner will face Cincinnati or Columbus. In Game 2, Cincinnati will take a 1-0 series lead into Sunday.