Inter Miami's pursuit of a much-needed win was thwarted deep into stoppage time on Saturday as Nashville SC substitute Sam Surridge netted a dramatic equalizer to secure a 2-2 draw at Chase Stadium.
Surridge, who had already found the net earlier in the match, pounced in the opening minute of second-half stoppage time to convert the rebound after Nashville teammate Shak Mohammed's initial effort was parried by Miami goalkeeper Dayne St Clair. It was Surridge's second goal of the night and his 15th of the campaign, and it snatched a point for the Eastern Conference leaders on the road against their second-placed rivals.
The goal came just moments after Lionel Messi appeared to have swung the contest in Miami's favor. In the 62nd minute, the Argentine superstar collected a pass from Rodrigo De Paul near the top of the penalty area and curled a left-footed strike beyond Nashville keeper Brian Schwake, giving Miami a 2-1 lead. The finish marked Messi's league-leading 19th goal of the season and his 99th in all competitions since joining the club.
Miami nearly snatched all three points in the dying seconds when De Paul's effort cannoned off the post in the fourth minute of stoppage time, but the woodwork denied what would have been the last action of the game. The result extends Inter Miami's winless run to just one victory in their last eight league outings, with the club now stuck on three consecutive draws. Nashville, meanwhile, stretched their unbeaten record against Miami to four matches across all competitions.
Elsewhere in Saturday's MLS action, Sporting Kansas City snapped a three-game losing skid with a surprising 3-1 win over Los Angeles FC. André Luiz opened the scoring with the first MLS goal of his career, while Taylor Calheira and Jacob Bartlett also found the net for Kansas City. Goalkeeper Stefan Cleveland was instrumental with six saves as Sporting City claimed their first victory since July 22. Denis Bouanga scored LAFC's only goal, ending the visitors' four-match unbeaten run despite five saves from Hugo Lloris. It marked the first time LAFC had conceded three goals since a 3-2 defeat to Nashville back on May 17.
In Orlando, Antoine Griezmann continued his scoring streak, netting in his fifth consecutive appearance as Orlando City cruised past Toronto FC 3-0. The victory was Orlando's third straight and extended their unbeaten run to five games. Griezmann broke the deadlock in first-half stoppage time, redirecting a cross from Zakaria Taifi under the crossbar. Rookie Harvey Sarajian doubled the advantage in the 82nd minute with his first career MLS goal, finishing off a feed from Daryl Dike. Ivan Angulo capped the scoring in second-half stoppage time. The loss ended Toronto's seven-game unbeaten streak, their first defeat since July 25.
Finally, FC Cincinnati and Charlotte FC produced a thrilling 3-3 draw at TQL Stadium. Kevin Denkey scored twice for Cincinnati in the second half, including a late equalizer set up by Bryan Ramírez following a corner. Pavel Bucha also found the net for the hosts. Charlotte had raced ahead through first-half goals from Liel Abada and Pep Biel, and the point extended their unbeaten streak to seven matches, lifting them into fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings ahead of Chicago's weekend fixture against New England.
Based on reporting from Guardian Football.