Inter Miami, with a lackluster Lionel Messi throughout the 90 minutes, lost 5-3 at home to Chicago Fire on Tuesday in a highly volatile MLS match.
Mascherano’s team started poorly against an opponent who waited for them and counterattacked dangerously; a strategy that paid off.
But despite that, Inter began losing in another way: when Ivorian Dje D’Avilla won a corner kick and opened the scoring in the 11th minute.
In the 31st minute, Jonathan Dean extended the lead for the visitors after a great counterattack in which he took advantage of the defensive advantages provided by the Florida team, appearing free on the left flank and beating Ustari one-on-one.
Towards the end of the first half, however, Toto Avilés captured a rebound in the six-yard box and pulled one back for the Garzas.
But the joy was short-lived, as Chicago immediately doubled the lead through Rominigue Kouamé, who received the ball on the penalty spot, coolly dispatched his marker, and shot with his foot wide and low against the post, leaving Ustari immobile.
In the second half, a comeback would come: Luis Suárez managed to put Inter within striking distance after a great assist from Baltasar Rodríguez, allowing him to finish inside the six-yard box and almost fall to make it 2-3. And in the 74th minute, he received the ball from Jordi Alba on the penalty spot and fired it in with the inside of his foot to seal the tie.
It seemed like a draw would open the door to another match, but it quickly evaporated.
In the 80th minute, after a series of three rebounds in which Inter Miami was incredibly unable to clear the ball, the visitors got their fourth. Justin Reynolds tapped it in off the goal with an assist from Brian Gutiérrez, and Gutiérrez then fired a shot into the top corner that Ustari couldn’t save.
The away win secured the Chicago Fire’s playoff spot, a place they haven’t reached since 2017. And Inter Miami is assured of losing the lead; with one game in hand, they are nine points behind leader Philadelphia.
