Akin Ayomide
An 89th-minute goal from Lionel Messi was too little, too late as Nashville SC beat Inter Miami 2-1 on Saturday to stay alive in their MLS Cup round one playoff series.
First-half goals from Sam Surridge and Josh Bauer put Nashville in control at a rainy Geodis Park in Tennessee.
Surridge converted a penalty in the ninth minute to put the hosts in front, slotting to the right of Miami goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo.
Nashville were awarded the spot kick after Rios Novo hesitated coming off his line against a charging Surridge.
Bauer put Nashville 2-0 up on the stroke of halftime, sliding in left-footed after a corner by Hany Mukhtar.
Miami opened the second half in determined style, but Luis Suarez’s close-range shot in the 66th minute was parried by Nashville keeper Joe Willis.
Miami and Messi stepped it up in the waning minutes.
Rodrigo De Paul found Messi in the box in the 89th minute, and the newly crowned MLS Golden Boot winner wrong-footed his defender and fired a left-footed shot into the top right corner.
Miami had seized control of the series with a 3-1 game one win fueled by a Messi brace, but now they’ll have to host a decisive game three.
It’s an unwelcome reminder of last year, when Miami went into the playoffs having posted the best record in the regular season and won their opening game against Atlanta United, only for Atlanta to win the next two and send them packing.