Lionel Messi scored a second-half goal but Nashville SC struck back in stoppage time to earn a 2-2 draw at Inter Miami and maintain its nine-point lead at the top of the Eastern Conference.
Messi looked to have given Miami the win when he exchanged passes with longtime Argentina teammate Rodrigo De Paul before picking out the side of the net with a precise left-footed finish from 20 yards out in 62nd minute.
Twice Messi came close to extending Miami’s lead and scoring what would have been his 100th for the MLS club in all competitions. But he was denied first by a Brian Schwake save onto the post and then by a last-ditch headed clearance by Nashville defender Jeisson Palacios.
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Miami was then hit by a sucker punch in the first minute of added time when Sam Surridge fired Nashville level. Surridge had earlier put Nashville in front after just four minutes in south Florida.
Miami has now dropped 11 points from winning positions at home in MLS this season, second only behind New York City FC and CF Montreal.
Saturday’s dropped points could prove particularly costly, leaving Miami trailing Nashville by nine points in the battle for both the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 seed and the Supporters’ Shield with nine game remaining.
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Nashville, which joined MLS as an expansion team alongside Miami in 2020, is now in prime position to claim its first Supporters’ Shield.
Miami, which is still awaiting Cristian ‘Kily’ González to formerly take over as coach, has won just once in its last nine games in all competitions.
The team, and Messi, had plenty of chances to add to that win total on Saturday.
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Although he snapped a two-game scoreless streak to move onto an MLS-leading 19 goals this season, the 39-year-old hit the crossbar as well as the post in the second half. And even after Nashville leveled in added time, De Paul was inches away from giving Miami the win when his shot hit the outside of the post.
Messi earlier had a big hand in bringing Miami level in the 19th minute, when his inswinging corner forced an own goal after it deflected into the net off the head of Nashville defender Reed Baker-Whiting.
