Subdued Messi fails to fire as Filippi salvages draw for Inter Miami

Riquelme Fillipi scored a brilliant 90th-minute equaliser to salvage a point for Inter Miami in a 2-2 draw with FC Cincinnati that damages the Floridians hopes of securing second spot in the Eastern Conference.Fillips first MLS goal helped Miami avoid just their seventh league defeat of the season but they still slipped to third after the New England Revolution beat the New York Red Bulls 3-2.Miami visit New England on Sunday.Luis Surez gave Miami the lead just after the hour mark with a trademark curling strike but Miami then sat back, allowing the visitors to get a grip on the game and goals from Kenji Mboma Dem and Samuel Gidi swung the match in their favour.Filippi levelled but Miami still needed a brave block from defender Ian Fray to deny Evander in stoppage time.What I know is that we made mistakes again, I think, in part, due to a great deal of anxiety, especially in the second half, Miami boss Kily Gonzlez said. In my view, we were far too passive in the first half, which is something we tried to address at halftime. Ill say it again: our fate is in our own hands we need to win a match but we have to improve significantly.We need to better analyse and interpret the game and understand how it should be played. We need to be more aggressive, and in the first half, we simply werent.Messi on the periphery but collects yellow cardLionel Messi returned to the starting line-up but had a quiet night, bar picking up a yellow card for a clash with Cincinnati defender Samuel Gidi.His struggles were indicative of a strangely ineffective performance from Miami.The match demanded a lot of individual duels, one-on-one situations, and play out on the flanks,Gonzlez added. We needed to be clinical, but we lacked the sharpness to execute what we had prepared during the week. So, yes, were very frustrated, but we have to keep going.Cincinnati stay in eighth place in the East and very much in play-off contention. Topics FC Cincinnati Inter Miami CF Lionel Messi If you enjoy reading this article, you can help support our independent football journalism by adding 101 Great Goals as a preferred source You Should Also Read Inter Miami v FC Cincinnati: Preview, expected line-ups, stats and where to watch with Messi set to return to starting XI Jon Fisher 28th October, 2026 Messi deserved Ballon dOr and Kanes triumph wont remove the stain of Englands World Cup semi-final defeat Ole Jon Fisher 27th October, 2026 Who won the Ballon dOr 2026? Recap on the results live from London as they happened Cian Cheesbrough 26th October, 2026 Chaos at the Ballon dOr! Statement released after Kane, Mbappe, Yamal and Messi all announced as winners Cian Cheesbrough 26th October, 2026 What time is the Ballon dOr ceremony 2026? Full start details, confirmed timings Ben Miller 26th October, 2026 Ballon dOr 2026: Odds, stats and where to watch with Harry Kane favourite to win ahead of Kylian Mbappe, Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi Jon Fisher 26th October, 2026