Inter Miami’s pursuit of second place in Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference suffered a setback on Wednesday night as Cincinnati held them to a 2-2 draw. Substitute Riquelme Fillipi rescued a point for Miami after the visitors scored twice in six minutes to overturn Luis Suarez’s opening goal.
The result left Miami two points behind the New England Revolution, who defeated the New York Red Bulls 3-2. Miami face New England on Sunday and need a win or a draw to keep their chances of finishing second alive. Nashville SC lead the standings and secured the first Supporters’ Shield in their history last weekend.
For Cincinnati, the draw brought a potentially important point despite the disappointment of conceding late. They remain close to the automatic playoff positions but are currently on course for the wild card round. With two matches still to play, they also face the possibility of missing the playoffs altogether.
A quiet opening half offered little indication of the four fine goals that would follow. Miami dominated possession and completed far more passes than Cincinnati, yet could not break through. Their breakthrough finally arrived in the 61st minute, when Rodrigo De Paul found room in midfield and sent the ball wide to Casemiro.
Casemiro used the outside of his boot to deliver a first-time pass to Suarez just inside the penalty area. The Uruguayan controlled the ball, turned and curled his effort towards the far top corner. It struck the underside of the crossbar and went in, giving Miami the advantage after their earlier pressure had produced no reward.
Cincinnati responded in the 80th minute through Kenji Mboma Dem. Receiving the ball on the right, the Frenchman advanced towards several defenders, used a series of stepovers and cut inside before curling his shot towards the far post. Six minutes later, defender Samuel Gidi put Cincinnati ahead at Nu Stadium, meeting a pass near the edge of the area and striking left-footed beyond Dayne St Clair.
With Lionel Messi closely marked and unable to get a shot away, De Paul helped create Miami’s reply. He spread the ball wide to Fillipi, and the young Brazilian attacker cut back towards the corner of the penalty area. His curling finish travelled through two defenders and into the far side of the net to bring Miami level.
There was still time for either team to claim victory. Suarez drove an effort at the goalkeeper, while Cincinnati’s Evander had a close-range shot blocked by a defender. Appeals for handball were dismissed by the referee, leaving both sides with a point after a dramatic second half.
