Inter Miami showed they are not rattled.
Four days after being eliminated from the Concacaf Champions Cup by Nashville SC, the Herons picked up a 3-2 road win over New York City FC at Yankee Stadium on Sunday in front of 45,845 fans.
Lionel Messi was the catalyst once again. He scored his fourth goal of the season with a deflected free kick past USMNT goalkeeper Matt Freese to tie the game at 2-2, and center back Micael added the winner shortly after. Messi also struck the woodwork twice in the first half and consistently ran at NYCFC’s defensive line throughout the match.
The goal pushed Messi’s MLS total to 54 in 57 career regular-season matches and 901 in his overall career.
Defender Ian Fray said the response was exactly what the team needed.
“Really good teams don’t lose two games in a row,” Fray said. “We definitely wanted to bounce back as quickly as possible, and that’s what we did. The mentality is we lose a game, we’re going to go win the next game and show everyone we’re still champions.”
Miami goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair, expected to be Canada’s starter at the FIFA World Cup, made a crucial save in stoppage time to preserve the result as NYCFC pushed for an equalizer late.
Head coach Javier Mascherano urged calm after the rollercoaster week.
“Sometimes you win, and the people make you believe you are beautiful,” Mascherano said. “When you lose, you are a monster. For me, it is the same. Trust in my job, believe in the things we are working toward, and keep going.”
Miami head into the international break with three wins in five league matches as they look to defend their 2025 MLS Cup title.
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