The ex-Barcelona man did what he does best, helping the Herons escape Los Angeles with a shocking draw
It had to be him, didn't it? For 90 minutes, Inter Miami deserved a whole lot of nothing from their visit to the LA Galaxy on Sunday night. That was the first 90, though. As it turned out, Lionel Messi was simply waiting for minute 92.
The Argentine was the hero, of course. His 92nd-minute goal helped Miami steal a point that few would say they deserved. Combining with Jordi Alba, Messi turned back the clocks with a fantastic last-gasp finish to stun a Galaxy team that had so, so many chances to put this game away.
Dejan Jovelic scored LA's lone goal, and it's a wonder that it was the only one. Riqui Puig saw his penalty kick saved by Drake Callender, who created miracles to keep the Galaxy from more. He faced 23 shots during the match, but only one slipped in one as Jovelic was left free to tap-in on the back post in the 75th minute.
From there, though, things slowly started to go Miami's way. Marco Delgado's 87th-minute second yellow card was the start of it all, a questionable call at best, that helped turn the game. From that moment forward, Miami had a chance, and Messi ultimately made the most of it.
Despite the result, the Herons looked clearly frustrated after the final whistle. They were played off the field for much of this one but, somehow, stole a point anyway. That's what Messi can do – and at the end of the day, having the Argentine in your XI remains a cheat code.
GOAL rates Inter Miami's players from Dignity Health Sports Park…
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Drake Callender (9/10):
The clear Man of the Match for Miami. Absolutely fantastic in goal, making several key stops in addition to the one on Puig from the penalty spot.
Jordi Alba (8/10):
Did his thing on the left throughout before finally setting up Messi's equalizer. A connection we've seen a thousand times, and one that saved Miami in a big way on Sunday night.
Tomas Aviles (6/10):
Did his job defensively and moved the ball well. Much more solid than he was in the opener.
Serhiy Kryvtsov (6/10):
Lack of pace was exposed a few times, but he held his own mostly. Could have been a bit more aware on the goal, though.
DeAndre Yedlin (6/10):
Couldn't quite get going and had one bad foul in the second half. Overall, nothing too special.
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Julian Gressel (4/10):
Just hasn't looked himself yet this season. Pressure is only going to turn up on a player who can help this Miami team, even if he hasn't done much of that yet.
Sergio Busquets (4/10):
Didn't look anything like the player we've all watched for so long. Conceded the penalty and looked a bit slow all game, physically and mentally.
Diego Gomez (6/10):
Far and away the best in the midfield three, but that isn't saying much. Actually had a decent game which looked much, much better when compared to those around him.
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Robert Taylor (5/10):
Never got into the game, taking just 25 touches before being taken out 22 minutes in to the second half.
Luis Suarez (4/10):
It's almost like it wasn't a good idea to play someone with Suarez's knees after a cross-country trip on short rest. Looked totally off the pace before being mercifully subbed out.
Lionel Messi (8/10):
It had to be him, huh? Relatively quiet all game, Messi popped up for the goal late, netting his first of the season to earn Miami a relatively undeserved point.
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Leonardo Campana (5/10):
Came on to replace Suarez, but barely got a touch of the ball. Poorly utilized off the bench.
David Ruiz (5/10):
Could have done better on the Galaxy goal but his energy was much, much needed once Miami tired.
Shnayder Borgelin (N/A):
Thrown on late, but couldn't do much for the Herons.
Lawson Sunderland (N/A):
Looked tidy during his late cameo, but didn't feature enough to warrant anything more.
Tata Martino (5/10):
Should know better than to run out the same XI on short rest. Team is dealing with injuries, of course, but it was always going to be rough relying on old legs for a second game in just a few days.