Inter Miami’s new head coach Kily Gonzalez endured a frustrating MLS debut as San Diego FC claimed a 2-2 draw at Chase Stadium on Saturday night.
Goals from Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez had appeared to set up a winning start for the Argentine manager, but Danish winger Anders Dreyer had other ideas entirely.
Dreyer struck twice to earn San Diego a hard-fought point, spoiling what could have been a memorable occasion for Gonzalez in his first league match in charge.
The stalemate extends Inter Miami’s winless run in MLS to four consecutive matches, all of which have ended as draws, raising serious questions about the team’s consistency.
Their Supporters’ Shield ambitions appear to be fading fast, with the Herons now sitting 11 points behind Eastern Conference leaders Nashville SC, who have already clinched a playoff spot.
Dreyer opened the scoring in the 12th minute, latching onto a seeing-eye pass from Jeppe Tverskov on a breakaway and looping a composed finish past goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair.
Miami responded swiftly, with Messi curling home a stunning free-kick in the 24th minute for his 101st goal for the club, the ball threading through a crowded six-yard box before clipping the inside of the post and finding the net.
Despite strong chances for Messi, Suarez, and Rodrigo De Paul throughout the second half, it took until the 74th minute for Miami to take the lead, with De Paul releasing Suarez into the area and the 39-year-old Uruguayan lashing home for 2-1.
San Diego refused to give up, and Tverskov again proved the creator as another precise ball over the top released Dreyer, who finished coolly in the 82nd minute to make it 2-2 and stun the home crowd.
Messi had three late efforts saved as Inter Miami pushed desperately for a winner, but they were unable to find a breakthrough and were forced to settle for a share of the points.
The result is made more frustrating for Miami given the high of winning the Campeones Cup against Cruz Azul during the week, which had raised expectations heading into the home fixture.
Gonzalez cut a visibly frustrated figure on the touchline, and despite the attacking quality on display from Messi and Suarez, he was highly critical of his team’s defensive performance after the match.
Inter Miami remain third in the Eastern Conference and will need to find greater resilience at the back if they are to mount any meaningful challenge for silverware in the weeks ahead.
