Sam Surridge scored an equalizer in the first minute of second-half stoppage time for visiting Nashville SC, who played Inter Miami to a 2-2 draw on Saturday evening.
Surridge’s goal, his second of the evening and 15th of the season, came after Shak Mohammed’s shot was saved by Dayne St. Clair. Surridge was in position to put home the rebound to help Eastern Conference-leading Nashville (16-3-6, 54 points) steal a point on the road against second-place Inter Miami (12-4-9, 45 points).
It canceled out Lionel Messi’s goal in the 62nd minute, his league-high 19th of the season and 99th across all competitions for Inter Miami. He took a pass from Rodrigo De Paul just beyond the top of the box and sent a soaring, left-footed shot past Nashville goalkeeper Brian Schwake to give his team a 2-1 lead.
After giving up Surridge’s equalizer, Miami had a look at a winner in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time, but De Paul’s attempt rang off the left post in what turned out to be the final kick of the match.
Nashville saw itself off to a dream start in the fourth minute behind the first of Surridge’s two goals.
Andy Najar lifted a long ball over the top of the Miami defense to Surridge, who settled the ball inside the box and fired a right-footed strike that deflected off the foot of a sliding Casemiro and into the back of the net to give Nashville a 1-0 lead.
But Inter Miami pulled level in the 19th minute. Messi’s corner kick at the near post caromed off the head of Nashville’s Reed Baker-Whiting and behind Schwake to make it 1-1.
Despite Messi’s go-ahead goal with less than 30 minutes remaining, Surridge’s leveler sent Miami to a third straight draw and 1-2-5 in its past eight league matches.
Nashville, meanwhile, extended its unbeaten streak against Miami to four matches (1-0-3) across all competitions.
–Field Level Media
