Miami (AFP) – Lionel Messi and Inter Miami’s hopes of overtaking Nashville at the top of Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference suffered a blow on Sunday after the champions were held to a 2-2 draw by San Diego in Florida. Two goals from Danish forward Anders Dreyer secured a share of the points for San Diego at Miami’s Nu Stadium – a result which left Miami 11 points adrift of Nashville with eight regular season games remaining.
Denmark international Dreyer fired San Diego into a shock lead after 12 minutes, latching on to a superb through ball from compatriot Jeppe Tverskov before lifting a delicate chip over Miami goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair. But Miami, who dominated territory and possession for long periods thereafter, were back on level terms in the 24th minute when Messi curled in his 101st goal for Miami.
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Messi’s wicked curling free-kick from the edge of the area somehow threaded its way through a crowded six-yard box and clipped the inside of the post before ending in the net. From there, Miami laid siege to the San Diego goal, and it seemed only a matter of time before they took the lead. Messi, Luis Suarez, and Rodrigo De Paul all had good chances, but somehow San Diego managed to hold on.
The deadlock was broken in the 74th minute when De Paul released Suarez with a clever pass on the edge of the area, and the 39-year-old Uruguayan veteran lashed home the finish for 2-1. That looked like it would be enough as the game entered the final 10 minutes, but San Diego stunned the home crowd with a goal that echoed their first. Tverskov once again found Dreyer with a pinpoint pass over the top, and the Dane finished coolly to make it 2-2.
A frenetic finish saw San Diego almost snatch victory deep into stoppage time, but St. Clair blocked Kieran Sargeant’s late effort on the counter.
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