Inter Miami CF tied the Columbus Crew 2-2 at Nu Stadium on Saturday night. Lionel Messi did not participate in the contest as he continued his three-week rest following the 2026 FIFA World Cup championship game. Rodrigo De Paul did play for the Herons tonight for the first time since the World Cup.
In the first half, Inter Miami CF(11-2-5) bolted out to a 1-0 lead. The Crew turned the ball over near the midfield circle. Luis Suarez lobbed a right-footed shot from 42 yards away over the out-of-net goalkeeper in the 16th minute. He now has a four-game scoring streak.
Columbus(5-8-5) evened it up 1-1 in the 34th minute of play. They picked up a tally on an own goal by Herons midfielder Carlos Casemiro with his sliding stop of a pass.
The Herons reclaimed the lead 2-1 during stoppage time at the conclusion of the first half. Suarez crossed the ball from the right side and Noah Allen placed in a header from 14 yards away.
The Crew garnered the only goal in the second half at the 84th minute. Brais Mendez finished off the scoring in the contest as he curled a direct kick with his left foot from 30 yards out into the left side of the cage. It was the first Major League Soccer goal for Mendez.