NEW YORK — Lionel Messi netted the equalizer with a stunning free kick in the second half and later assisted Micael dos Santos‘ game-winner, leading Inter Miami CF to a comeback victory over New York City FC with a score of 3-2 at Yankee Stadium on Sunday.
With this win, Inter Miami (3-1-1) climbs into a tie for second place in the Eastern Conference, handing NYCFC (3-1-1) their first defeat of the season.
Gonzalo Luján opened the scoring for Inter Miami with his first career goal, tapping in a rebound in the 4th minute. The 21-year-old defender has made 23 starts in his 30 appearances to date.
Nicolás Fernández replied for NYCFC with his fifth goal, converting a free kick in the 17th minute. Since last season, Fernández has found the net eight times in just 16 matches.
Agustin Ojeda gave NYCFC a 2-1 lead in the 59th minute, aided by assists from Maxi Morález and Kevin O’Toole. This marked Ojeda’s second goal of the season and his fifth overall in 61 appearances, while Morález added his fourth assist of the season.
However, the lead was short-lived as Messi quickly equalized just two minutes later, smashing a left-footed free kick past Matthew Freese for his fourth goal of the season. This was Messi’s 54th goal in 58 MLS appearances, adding to his incredible career total of 901 goals across international and club competitions.
In the 74th minute, Messi’s corner kick led to a header from Micael, securing a 3-2 advantage for Inter Miami. Noah Allen and David Ayala were credited with assists on Micael’s first goal since joining the team.
Dayne St. Claire made three saves for Inter Miami during his inaugural season with the reigning MLS champions, having conceded eight goals over four starts.
Matt Freese registered five saves for NYCFC.
During the match, Messi hit both the post and crossbar in the first half.
Historically, NYCFC maintains an edge in the series with a record of 7-4-4, although Miami has gone unbeaten in their last seven encounters with a 3-0-4 record.