MIAMI (AP) — Lionel Messi and Inter Miami took a 3-0 lead over rival Orlando City and finally looked poised for a historic first win inside the team’s new stadium.
Truly, history was made by the city of Orlando.
Martin Ojeda scored three goals, Tyrese Spicer scored the go-ahead goal three minutes into stoppage time, and Orlando City defeated Inter Miami 4-3 on Saturday night. They became the third team in MLS history to come back from a 3-0 deficit to win.
“The biggest comeback in MLS history?” read a headline on MLS’s website after the game.
I’m sure Orlando would say that.
Messi had one goal and two assists in his 100th appearance for the club, but for some reason it wasn’t enough against a team that entered the night near the bottom of the MLS standings. Inter Miami falls to 0-1-3 at the new stadium, making the defending champions one of only three teams in MLS without a home win so far this season.
Ian Frey and Telasco Segovia also scored for Inter Miami, which remains unbeaten in its last 11 competitive games (5-0-6) and last nine MLS games (5-0-4). Afterwards, Frei said Messi said in the locker room that the result was “unacceptable”.
“We all agree with him,” Frey said. “That’s unacceptable.”
According to MLS, the other two games in which a team fought back from a 3-0 deficit to win (other than the 1996 shootout win by the Metro Stars) were Seattle defeating DC United 4-3 in 2017 and LA Galaxy defeating LAFC 4-3 in 2018.
Orlando City (3-7-1) has won just two of its last 15 MLS games (including playoffs) dating back to last season. Orlando City also had 0 wins, 4 losses, and 1 draw in MLS games this season.
That didn’t matter. Ojeda scored in the 39th minute to put Orlando up 3-1 at halftime. He scored again in the 68th minute to make things interesting.
It’s too interesting from Inter Miami’s perspective.
In the 73rd minute, Ojeda had a great chance to tie the score alone on the right side of the box. However, Inter Miami goalkeeper Dane St. Clair came wide off the goal line and made a close-range save to keep the score at 3-2.
Ojeda was not denied and converted a penalty in the 78th minute to tie the score at 3-3. There was another chance in the 80th minute, but St. Clair saved it with his face, yes, his face, to keep the game level.
Spicer ultimately scored the winning goal for the visitors, but Messi and Herrons continued to argue over what they felt was a missed call and time ran out.
Inter Miami have four games left before MLS’s seven-week break for the FIFA World Cup begins. None of their looming opponents, including Toronto, Cincinnati, Portland and Philadelphia, were above the .500 mark entering Saturday.
___
AP Soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
