Miami Loses Ground as Cincinnati Force Late Draw
Substitute Riquelme Fillipi’s goal saved Inter Miami from defeat, but the 2-2 result leaves them two points behind New England in the Eastern Conference race.
By Olivia Miller ·
Inter Miami lost two points in their bid for second place in Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference on Wednesday night. The team drew 2-2 with Cincinnati at Nu Stadium. The result leaves Miami two points behind the New England Revolution. New England defeated the New York Red Bulls 3-2 on the same day. Nashville SC leads the conference and won its first Supporters’ Shield last weekend.
The first half was quiet. Miami controlled possession and completed more passes than Cincinnati. Neither team found the net. The game opened up in the second half. In the 61st minute, Rodrigo De Paul passed to Casemiro. Casemiro played a first-time pass to Luis Suarez. Suarez curled the ball into the far top corner to give Miami a 1-0 lead.
Cincinnati responded in the 80th minute. Kenji Mboma Dem advanced on the right, used stepovers to beat defenders, and curled a shot to the far post for the equalizer. Six minutes later, Samuel Gidi put Cincinnati ahead. He struck a left-footed shot from near the edge of the area past Dayne St Clair. The score became 2-1 in favor of Cincinnati.
Substitute Riquelme Fillipi equalized for Miami late in the match. Lionel Messi was tightly marked and could not get a shot off. De Paul spread the ball wide to Fillipi. The Brazilian attacker cut back toward the corner of the penalty area. He curled the ball through two defenders and into the far side of the net.
Both teams had chances to win in the final minutes. Suarez shot at the goalkeeper but missed. Cincinnati’s Evander had a close-range shot blocked by a defender. The referee dismissed appeals for handball. The final score remained 2-2.
Miami plays New England on Sunday. They need a win or a draw to stay in the race for second place. Cincinnati remains close to the automatic playoff spots. They are currently on track for the wild card round. Two matches remain for Cincinnati. They could still miss the playoffs entirely.
The draw ends a stretch of momentum for Miami. They had pressure but lacked finishing in the first half. The second half produced four goals. Cincinnati’s late surge was stopped by Fillipi’s finish. The points distribution shifts the standings for the final stretch of the regular season.
