MIAMI — Lionel Messi scored his 101st goal for Inter Miami CF, but Anders Dreyer scored twice for San Diego FC, as the teams played to a 2-2 draw on Sunday night.
It was Inter Miami’s fourth consecutive draw in MLS play as new manager Kily González oversaw his first league game in charge of the club and cut a frustrated figure after conceding a late goal to drop points.
“We’ve been here for four days and haven’t been able to train properly. Defensively, we really need to be much stronger,” González said after the game. “We can’t commit these defensive horrors, they come at a high cost. That final situation shouldn’t have happened. It’s surreal to be in a position to win the game, yet nearly lose it.
“We only avoided defeat because our goalkeeper saved us.”
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Dreyer gave San Diego a 1-0 lead in the 12th minute, capitalizing on a through ball from Jeppe Tverskov before deftly chipping over goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair.
Messi answered in the 24th with his 20th league goal of the season. His free kick from the right side went untouched through the penalty area and into the far side of the net, four days after he scored his 100th goal for Inter Miami in a 2-0 win over Mexican side Cruz Azul in the Campeones Cup.
“I think the Campeones Cup might have had an unconscious effect, especially in the first half, leading to a bit of complacency,” González added. “These are factors that are part of football. At a club where we are obliged to win every match we play, we have to rise to the occasion. We made significant adjustments at halftime to get the team flowing and ensure we stayed compact, keeping the lines tight so we wouldn’t suffer the way we did in the first half.”
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The goal was Messi’s eighth from a free kick since entering the league in 2023, more than any other player in MLS during that time span.
Luis Suárez put Miami ahead in the 74th minute as Miami looked set to leapfrog New England into second place in the Eastern Conference, but Dreyer scored his second of the night eight minutes later with another fine finish — this time from a ball over the top of the Herons’ backline.
Miami is now in third place with a record of 12-4-10 with 46 points — 11 behind first-place Nashville.
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“But anyway, we have to keep going,” González said. “On the positive side, we did some good things, but I need to fine-tune the defensive side because that’s what really worries me most.”
Earlier Sunday, FIFA announced that the final phase of the 2027 FIFA Women’s Champions Cup will be played at Inter Miami’s home of Nu Stadium in January. FIFA Chief Football Officer Jill Ellis spoke at halftime about bringing the competition to Miami.
“I think we’ve seen that this city loves its football. We’ve seen it this past summer with the World Cup,” Ellis said. “I think it’s time to bring a major women’s tournament here to Miami. I think it’s exciting.”
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Miami returns to MLS play next Sunday on the road against the Columbus Crew, while San Diego is also on the road with a game against Austin FC on Saturday.
ESPN writer Lizzy Becherano contributed to this report, while information from The Associated Press was also used.
