Inter Miami snatch late Columbus Crew tie to keep MLS playoff hopes alive before Messi joins
Inter Miami snatch a late tie with Columbus Crew thanks to superb 90th minute acrobatic goal from Josef Martinez to keep minor playoff hopes alive before Lionel Messi arrives
- Inter Miami twice went behind but fought back and took a vital point in MLS
- It is still all to do to make the playoffs, but there are signs of improvement
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Josef Martinez kept Inter Miami and Lionel Messi’s slender hopes of making the MLS playoffs alive with a 90th minute acrobatic kick to snatch a point against Columbus Crew.
Miami twice fought back from behind to share the points on Wednesday night and it is now two games in a row that the team has tied.
They need wins, and urgently, if Messi and Co are to reach the playoffs. But after two draws in a row, the team is slowly turning a corner.
Darlington Nagbe scored the opener for the Crew with a side footed volley from the edge of the penalty area in the first half after Miami headed away a corner.
Five minutes into the second half and Miami got level, Leo Campana powering home a header that goalkeeper Patrick Schulte just couldn’t get a firm enough touch to.
Miami were level for 12 minutes before Crew retook the lead and it was a dreadful way to concede.
The entire defensive line went to sleep as Alexandru Matan hustled through the midfield and the ball rolled into the feet of Cucho Hernandez, who instinctively whipped the ball across the six yard area from out wide.
None of the Miami defense had anticipated the cross whatsoever, so Christian Ramirez was all by himself to poke the ball home.
But just as it felt like Miami were facing an eighth MLS defeat in nine games, Martinez intervened.
Goalscorer and fellow striker Campana made a smart run into the penalty area, collected possession and swiveled before chipping the ball to Martinez.
From there, the Venezuela forward leapt into the air and unleash a powerful bicycle kick into the roof of the net.
It still leaves Miami last in MLS’s Eastern Conference but the fight the team showed to stay in the game will be a great source of encouragement for Tata Martino, who was watching from the stands as he waits for his visa to be approved.
The team is nine points behind Montreal, the team occupying the last play-in place for the post-season tournament.
