Inter Miami seal thrilling draw, but will it be enough? Lionel Messi watches on as Tomas Aviles seals last-gasp point in draw with NYCFC
Inter Miami’s playoff dreams took a punch to the gut Saturday as a Messi-less side drew fellow Eastern Conference playoff Hopefuls at DRV PNK Stadium.
- Miami split points with NYCFC
- Messi remains out
- Playoff push made more difficult
TELL ME MORE: Inter Miami headed into the weekend fresh off a U.S. Open Cup final loss to the Houston Dynamo knowing that they’d immediately need to refocus in MLS. However, they were once again without Messi for Saturday’s match as the Argentine remains out due to injury alongside fellow superstar signing Jordi Alba.
NYCFC wouldn’t waste their opportunity to potentially bury the South Florida side, with star Santi Rodriguez scoring in the 79th minute to seemingly doom the hosts at DRV PNK Stadium. However, Tomas Aviles scored last-gasp goal to earn a 1-1 draw that may just keep their playoff hopes alive.
With the draw, Miami are four points out of the playoffs with just four games to play and they’ll need to leapfrog four other teams to book a spot in the postseason. They may just have to do it without Messi, too, as the ex-Barcelona star’s status remains up in the air.
THE MVP: Cometh the moment, cometh the man, and, on Saturday, that man was Aviles. The young summer signing already has a signature Inter Miami moment, and it may just be the one that keeps the club in the running for a postseason spot.
THE BIG LOSER: It was a rough, ugly game for all involved, one that was delayed by weather and then played on a sloppy, nasty field. Still, Miami needed something just a bit more from Leo Campana if they were to survive without their other Leo. They didn’t get it, as he mustered just one shot and 29 total touches as Miami’s attack never got going.
MATCH IN THREE PHOTOS:
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WHAT NEXT INTER MIAMI? The Herons will now face a must-win match in Chicago on Wednesday before finishing off the MLS season with a game against Supporters’ Shield winners FC Cincinnati and two matches against Charlotte FC.
MATCH RATING (OUT OF FIVE): ⭐⭐⭐
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