Inter Miami falls behind in the race to qualify for the CONCACAF Champions Cup
Amman3 min read
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Inter Miami, led by its Argentine star Lionel Messi, fell into the trap of a 2-2 draw with Cincinnati in the thirty-second round of Major League Soccer (MLS), in a match that witnessed a strong resurgence after the break with four wonderful goals.
The draw was a setback for Miami in its quest to occupy second place in the Eastern Conference and secure its qualification for next year's CONCACAF Champions Cup, dropping to third place behind New England Revolution, who defeated New York Red Bulls 3-2.
Miami took the lead with a goal from Uruguayan Luis Suárez (60), but conceded two goals within 6 minutes through Frenchman Kenji Mboma Dem and Slovak Samuel Gidi (80 and 86), before equalizing with a late goal in the 90th minute by substitute Brazilian Riquelme Felipe, thus securing a valuable point.
Miami failed to penetrate its guest's defense in the first half, but succeeded in shaking its net in the 61st minute, when Argentine Rodrigo De Paul received the ball in the middle of the field and passed it to Brazilian Casemiro, who in turn sent it to Suárez, positioned inside the penalty area. The 39-year-old controlled it with one touch, then turned and shot it brilliantly into the far top corner, where it hit the crossbar and entered the goal.
Cincinnati rose up in the 80th minute thanks to Frenchman Mboma Dem, who scored a wonderful goal with a curling shot at the far post, after an individual effort on the right side.
Just 6 minutes later, Cincinnati silenced the fans at "New Stadium" by scoring the go-ahead goal after defender Gidi received a pass on the edge of the penalty area and fired it into the net of Canadian goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair. De Paul shone again in passing by sending a cross to the young substitute striker Felipe (20 years old), who penetrated to the corner of the penalty area and fired a curling shot between two defenders to settle in the far corner of the goal.
Inter Miami faces its rival New England on Sunday, trailing by two points (58 to 56), and needs either a win or a draw to keep its hopes for second place alive.
Nashville leads the Eastern Conference standings by a large margin (71 points) and clinched the Supporters' Shield, which is awarded to the first-place team, last weekend for the first time in its history.
