Allende’s Brace Seals Miami’s 3-3 Draw Against Earthquakes

    0
    0

    SAN JOSE, Calif. — In an electrifying match on Wednesday night, Tadeo Allende found the net twice as Inter Miami engaged in a thrilling 3-3 draw against the San Jose Earthquakes, marking Lionel Messi’s inaugural game in the Bay Area since his move to Major League Soccer (MLS).

    Allende opened his account in the first half and later equalized the score in the 52nd minute, slotting home a pass from Baltasar Rodríguez, a move which Messi played a key role in setting up. Alongside Allende’s efforts, Maximiliano Falcon contributed to Miami’s tally. However, Miami’s defense showed vulnerabilities, having conceded at least three goals in three out of their previous four encounters.

    For the Earthquakes, goals from Cristian Arango, Beau Leroux, and Ian Harkes ensured their unbeaten streak stretched to three matches. Messi had an opportunity to clinch a victory in stoppage time but was thwarted by San Jose’s goalkeeper, Daniel De Sousa Britto, from close range. Controversy followed as Messi was tackled outside the penalty area without a foul being called. This led to a heated exchange with the referee, resulting in a yellow card for Messi before Earthquakes coach Bruce Arena stepped in to defuse the situation.

    Arena remarked, “He was clearly upset, and I wanted to prevent him from getting a red card. I just tried to steer him away because receiving a red card at the end would have been absurd. My aim was to ensure he was available for Miami’s next match.”

    Messi’s appearance drew a sellout crowd of 18,000, with fans queueing for hours to witness the Miami playmaker in action. The excitement in the Bay Area was palpable, as fans participated in a block party the night before, and gathered outside Miami’s team hotel just for a glimpse of Messi waving from the balcony.

    During the first half, Messi had a couple of near misses, narrowly skewing a shot wide left after receiving a pass in the box, and another free-kick attempt drifting just past the post in the dying moments of the half.

    The match began with a bang as Miami found the back of the net just 35 seconds in, courtesy of a corner kick connection where Falcon headed in a crosser from Jordi Alba. However, the Earthquakes retaliated almost immediately, with Arango converting a pass from Cristian Espinoza just over two minutes in, marking a rare MLS occurrence where both teams scored within the first three minutes.

    The frenetic pace continued as the teams exchanged goals later in the half. Leroux put San Jose ahead in the 37th minute, which was swiftly countered by Allende’s equalizer seven minutes later. The Earthquakes reclaimed the lead with Harkes’ left-footed strike from outside the area in injury time, assisted by Leroux, rounding off an action-filled first half that set the stage for an exhilarating second period.