Inter Miami battled FC Cincinnati on a rain-soaked night that saw Lionel Messi make his return to the pitch. Unfortunately, for Miami fans, FC Cincinnati came out on top, 1-0.
The crowd at DRV PNK Stadium roared in the second half as Messi made his way onto the pitch. A free kick soon after sailed high over the goal in his first game action in weeks. Inter Miami fans were hoping for some Messi heroics to keep the team's playoff hopes alive.
But his second-half efforts weren't enough against the league's best team this season in a 1-0 loss to FC Cincinnati.
FC Cincinnati looked behind for much of the first half. Inter Miami controlled possession and had multiple shots hit the post, including shots from Tomás Avilés, Josef Martínez, and Ben Cremaschi within the first 25 minutes. FC Cincinnati manager Pat Noonan said the club needed to "play with more courage" after an unusually off first half.
Inter Miami keeper Drake Callender's stout play on his 26th birthday kept Cincinnati from taking the lead through much of the second half. Cincinnati couldn't get through on a barrage of shots but ultimately Álvaro Barreal connected in the 78th minute after a Callender save bounced right to him.
"Second half we took care of business," FC Cincinnati defender Nick Hagglund said after the game. "We gave up the ball a lot in bad places and that caused us to be kind of out of sync (in the first half). In the second half, we did a better job with the ball which helped us out defensively."
The victory gives FC Cincinnati a league-best 20 wins in 2023. This loss ends Inter Miami's playoff hopes with two games to go in the regular season.
Here is a recap of the entire night:
Barreal's goal in the 78th minute proved to be the difference in the close 1-0 battle in a rainy night in Fort Lauderdale.
Messi's return in the second half marked his first action for Inter Miami in weeks.
Messi's return rightly gets the headlines but Inter Miami keeper Drake Callender notched five saves. Callender, who turns 26 today, had one of his best performances of the last month.
After the game, Messi shared a moment with a young Inter Miami fan who rushed onto the field. After Messi's bodyguard initially stopped the kid, he made his way over for a selfie and an autograph.
Messi's return comes in the waning weeks of the MLS season. Inter Miami has just two more games in the 2023 season starting Oct. 18 at home against Charlotte FC. But Messi may not make it due to Argentina's World Cup qualifying matches in the next two weeks.
The defending World Cup champions play at home against Paraguay on Oct. 12 before taking on Peru Oct. 17. He may appear again for Inter Miami until their season finale at Charlotte on Oct. 21.
FC Cincinnati earned their MLS-leading 20th win 1-0 Saturday after a close battle with Inter Miami. Cincinnati's league-best second half defense held in the final 45 minutes plus extra time.
Lionel Messi earned a free kick in the attacking half from a foul by FC Cincinnati's Yuya Kubo. He dropped it into the penalty box but it was cleared out by Cincinnati's Matt Miazga ('90).
Two of Cincinnati's top scorers this season, Luciano Acosta and Brandon Vasquez, came out of the game with time ticking down. Malik Pinto and Dominique Badji are now subbed into the game ('88).
FC Cincinnati now has two yellows in the match with Celentano's card ('84).
Minutes after scoring the first goal of the game, Álvaro Barreal heads off the pitch with Bret Halsey coming into the game ('81).
FC Cincinnati's Yuya Kubo had a solid shot on goal but Inter Miami keeper Drake Callender managed to save it. The ball bounced right to Barreal and he knocked it well past Callender to break the 0-0 tie ('78).
After multiple shots in tonight's game, Josef Martínez heads to the bench with Nicolás Stefanelli substituting in off the bench. DeAndre Yedlin heads to the bench as well with Robert Taylor coming into the match ('76).
FC Cincinnati's Brandon Vasquez and Aaron Boupendza both had solid shots at a goal but Callender had clutch deflections and corralled the ball before either of them could try again.
Midfielder Junior Moreno heads to the bench as Yuya Kubo enters the game for FC Cincinnati ('64).
Messi took little time to impact the match. FC Cincinnati's Matt Miazga fouled Messi battling for possession and set up a free kick ('59). His boot sent the ball far over the top of the FC Cincinnati goal.
After what seems like eons, Lionel Messi returned to the pitch ('55) for Inter Miami to a roar from a satisfied crowd.
A bevy of chances from Cincinnati come up short. Santiago Arias, on a dish from Acosta, are all for not. The Inter Miami stalwart remains steadfast against the barrage ('49).
The second half kicks off to a roar from the crowd. As you would expect, it's from the fact that Lionel Messi is stretching along the sidelines.
In a 0-0 first half from Fort Lauderdale, Inter Miami's had the edge and multiple chances to find the net. Inter Miami's had 10 shots to FC Cincinnati's three. FC Cincinnati manager Pat Noonan said after the first half that the team needs to play with "more courage."
The Mexican musician, sporting an Inter Miami shirt, briefly spoke with Messi prior to the start of Saturday's game.
FC Cincinnati's Nwobodo was given the match's first yellow card after a tackle on Inter Miami's Facundo Farías.
Rain's been steadily falling in Fort Lauderdale all day but is getting stronger as the match goes on. Forecasts show the rain will ease later but will continue through the next 90 minutes.
Martínez turned and fired a shot for Inter Miami from the just outside the penalty box and it bounced back off the right post of the goal in the 23rd minute. Minutes later, Martínez dished a pass to Cremaschi for another shot inside the penalty box but it bounced off the top post of the goal.
Cremaschi had Inter Miami's next best chance at a goal with a shot outside the penalty box in the 20th minute. The ball sailed left of the goal and the game remains 0-0.
9': Avilés' shot in front of the goal was inches away from making the game 1-0 for Inter Miami. FC Cincinnati had a great chance on a counterattack but Brandon Vazquez's shot went wide of the goal.
The match is officially underway with an early shot from FC Cincinnati.
Inter Miami hosts FC Cincinatti with kickoff starting at 7:30 p.m., ET.
The Inter Miami vs. FC Cincinnati matchup is available to watch on Apple TV with the MLS Season Pass.
How to watch:MLS Season Pass on Apple TV streaming info
Inter Miami did not list him in its starting lineup for tonight but the club's official account posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Messi will be one of the subs for tonight's match.
FC Cincinnati released their starting lineup for tonights' match. The club's going with a 5-2-1-2 formation:
Inter Miami's gone with a 5-2-1-2 formation as well for tonight's game:
Gabe Zaldivar, sports editor: Whether Lionel Messi plays or not, Inter Miami has a lot to play for in ending the season on a high note. This one comes down to grit, which is something they've shown a lot of. They take this one 3-2.
Ayrton Ostly, sports reporter: Inter Miami knows what it must do to make the playoffs. That starts with a win tonight against an FC Cincinnati squad with little to play for thanks to a stellar regular season. A little Messi magic helps Inter Miami to a 2-1 win at home.
Inter Miami is slightly favored for the win over FC Cincinnati, per BetMGM MLS odds. The moneyline currently puts Inter Miami at +105 compared to +210 for FC Cincinnati and +275 for a draw.
Inter Miami is currently in 14th place out of 15 teams in the Eastern Conference with a record of 9-6-16 and 33 points. In order to qualify for the playoffs, they will need to rise to ninth place or higher. They're currently just five points back from current ninth-placed team CF Montréal.
Seven clubs have secured their playoff spots in the Eastern Conference: FC Cincinnati, Orlando City SC, Philadelphia Union, Columbus Crew, New England Revolution, Atlanta United FC, and Nashville SC. The final two playoff spots are still in play for seven clubs. Only Toronto FC's eliminated from contention.
In the Western Conference, St. Louis City SC's secured the top spot in the playoffs. Five clubs have secured a playoff spot: the Seattle Sounders FC, Los Angeles FC, Real Salt Lake, Vancouver Whitecaps FC, and Houston Dynamo FC. The remaining three playoff spots are open to seven clubs. Only the Colorado Rapids are eliminated from playoff contention.
Technically, yes. They're five points back with three matches remaining. MLS teams earn three points for a win, one point for a draw, and zero points for a loss. Three fixtures on the schedule means there's a maximum of nine points available for Inter Miami.
With the current deficit, Inter Miami needs CF Montréal and New York City to earn no more than three points. Inter Miami has one more game left in the regular season than CF Montréal and New York City FC which helps their chances.
Acosta's the club's top scorer with 16 goals this season. He's in good form lately with three goals and two assists in the last five matches. He typically plays attacking midfielder in the club's lineup.
As the best player on the best club in the MLS this season, Acosta's a strong candidate for the Landon Donovan MLS MVP award.
Martínez's scored seven goals this season, second only to Leonardo Campana on Inter Miami this season. He had the club's only goal against the Chicago Fire earlier this week. He'll be a crucial part of Inter Miami's attack for the starting XI.
Messi arrived in time to power Inter Miami to a League's Cup win. That included a goal in the first game of the League's Cup to help Inter Miami seal a 2-1 win.
Two games later, he scored two goals for Inter Miami to get a 3-1 win over rival Orlando City.
The squad rattled off wins against FC Dallas, Charlotte FC, and Philadelphia Union before taking on Nashville SC in the League's Cup final. Inter Miami beat Nashville SC 1-1 (10-9) to take the club's first League's Cup title.
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