In a dramatic Major League Soccer encounter on Sunday, Lionel Messi showcased his brilliance by scoring a last-gasp stoppage-time equalizer, allowing Inter Miami to secure a 1-1 draw against the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Despite the Galaxy’s dominance throughout much of the game, they took the lead in the 75th minute through Dejan Joveljic. However, the momentum shifted when the home side was reduced to ten men after midfielder Mark Delgado received a second yellow card in the 87th minute.
The decisive moment came when Jordi Alba and Messi combined down the left, with Alba delivering a precise pull-back that Messi skillfully converted with the outside of his left foot at full stretch.
This late equalizer proved to be a crucial redemption for Messi, who had a relatively quiet game. Inter Miami, with seven starters aged over 30, struggled to match the Galaxy’s tempo.
The starting lineup for Miami featured all four of their former Barcelona stars, including Alba, Sergio Busquets, Luis Suarez, and Messi. However, it was the Galaxy’s 24-year-old Spaniard Riqui Puig, another former Barca player, who stood out on the field, particularly in the first half with several chances.
Despite Puig’s dominance, Miami’s goalkeeper, Drake Callender, made crucial saves, including denying Puig’s penalty in the 13th minute. The Galaxy’s John McCarthy also had notable saves, while Miami’s Busquets and Suarez appeared off the pace.
The Galaxy finally broke through in the second half, with Joveljic tapping home after Delgado’s squared pass. After Delgado’s red card, Messi’s first-time shot narrowly missed the target but foreshadowed his later equalizer.
Inter Miami now has four points after their 2-0 victory in the season opener against Real Salt Lake. In other MLS matches, former Canada national team coach John Herdman made a positive start as head coach of Toronto FC with a 0-0 draw at FC Cincinnati, while the New York Red Bulls, under new coach Sandro Schwarz, were held to a goalless draw at Nashville despite hitting the woodwork twice.
