Sam Surridge spoiled Inter Miami’s party on Saturday by completing a brace in the 92nd minute; despite Leo Messi scoring his 99th goal for the Herons, the team could only manage a 2-2 draw in the Matchday 25 fixture at NU Stadium.
Messi reached 76 MLS goals—and 99 across all competitions for Inter Miami—but ended the match visibly disappointed after the team recorded its third consecutive draw.
It was a bitter 2-2 result for Inter Miami, not only because of Surridge’s stoppage-time equalizer but also due to hitting the woodwork three times.
Messi struck the frame of the goal twice: first in the 50th minute with a shot denied by the crossbar, and again in the 77th minute when the post stopped him from scoring a second goal. Then, in stoppage time, Rodrigo De Paul also hit the post, leaving the crowd in disbelief.
The Argentine had helped set up Inter Miami’s 1-1 equalizer—following Surridge’s opening goal—with a corner kick that Reed Backer-Whiting accidentally headed into his own net.
He then capitalized on an assist from Rodrigo De Paul to make it 2-2 in the 61st minute with a curling left-footed shot from 18 meters out.
Just as the fans at NU Stadium—where several empty seats were visible on Saturday—were preparing to celebrate a win, Surridge scored his fifteenth goal of the season to level the match at 2-2.
With this result, Nashville retains the top spot in the Eastern Conference with 54 points, nine ahead of Inter Miami.
