MIAMI.- With two spectacular goals from Luis Suarez and Riquelme Fillipi, he Inter Miami on Wednesday scratched a 2-2 draw against the FC Cincinnati, giving ground in the fight for second place in the MLS.
In addition to “Pistolero” Suárez, the French Antoine Griezmann He was another former striker of the Barcelona who scored on Wednesday in the North American League, in a 2-2 draw with the Chicago Fire from polish Robert Lewandowski.
For Inter, the tie means being two points behind the New England Revolution in the fight for second place in the Eastern Conference, a key position for the classification Concacaf Champions Cup.
Neither Miami nor New England can catch up with the East leader, Nashville SCwhich is guaranteed to be the best team in the regular phase.
The Revolution, who won 3-2 at New York Red Bullswill host Inter Miami on Sunday in the penultimate day of the regular phase.
This Wednesday, Lionel Messi He returned to the starting lineup for Inter after starting as a substitute in a visiting loss to the Red Bulls on Sunday.
It was difficult for the Argentine star to be present amid the continuous inaccuracies of both teams. With half an hour on the clock, the “10” made its first attempt with a shot from outside the area that hit a visiting defender.
One point discount
The soporific match took a turn in the 61st minute, when Rodrigo DePaul He opened the ball to the left for an unusual run of Casemirowho touched it first into the area towards Suárez.
The veteran Uruguayan striker recalled his best times by adjusting the ball to his right leg and placing a superb strike into the opposing squad.
At 39 years old, the former striker of the Barcelona and Liverpool This season he has 16 goals in 28 games.
David Beckham co-owner of Inter Miami, breathed a sigh of relief in the stands of the Nu Stadiumbut their players did not know how to defend the advantage against a Cincinnati that is fighting to sneak into the playoffs.
The French Kenji Mboma Dem He equalized in the 80th minute with another spectacular cross shot from the right corner of the Miami area.
Just six minutes later, the defender Samuel Gidi He silenced the stands with a tight long-range shot that put the visitors in the lead.
With Messi strongly marked, it was the young Brazilian Fillipi, landed in September from the Palmeiras, the one who rescued a point in the 90th by getting rid of two defenders and sending the ball to the same post as Suárez.
Miami and Cincinnati will meet again on February 19 in the opening match of next season, which will have a shortened format of just four months so that the MLS can make a transition to adapt its calendar to that of the main European leagues.
