Argentine veteran star Lionel Messi scored his 19th goal of the season, moving to the top of Major League Soccer's scoring charts, as his side Inter Miami drew 2-2 with league leaders Nashville yesterday.
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Inter Miami looked on course for their first win over Nashville this season, after Messi scored with a left-footed strike in the 62nd minute to put his team ahead 2-1, but Nashville's Sam Surridge leveled the score with his second goal of the match in the first minute of stoppage time, keeping his side's unbeaten record against Inter Miami intact across four meetings this season.
The draw also preserved the nine-point gap between league leaders Nashville and second-placed Inter Miami in the Eastern Conference standings.
Nashville took the lead just four minutes into the match, when Surridge capitalized on a pass from Andy Najar to score his 14th goal of the season.
Inter Miami equalized in the 19th minute, after Nashville defender Reed Baker-Whiting turned the ball into his own net from a corner kick.
Messi, an eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, found the net in the second half, after receiving a pass from Rodrigo De Paul outside the box, firing a left-footed shot into the bottom corner for his 19th MLS goal of the season.
Inter Miami had been looking for revenge after their 1-4 loss to Nashville in the two sides' last meeting on August 15, with Nashville also having eliminated Miami from the CONCACAF Champions Cup earlier this season.
Nashville's next match is at home against the Chicago Fire next Saturday, while Inter Miami host Mexican league champions Cruz Azul on Wednesday in the Campeones Cup, an annual tournament pitting the MLS champion against the Mexican Super Cup winner.
Resource: Al-Ghad.
