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Messi scores, but Dreyer double dampens Gonzalez's Inter Miami MLS debut
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- Messi scores, but Dreyer double dampens Gonzalez's Inter Miami MLS debut
Goals from Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez made it seem like the perfect start to life in MLS for new Inter Miami manager Kily Gonzalez, but he was forced to settle for a draw in his league debut.
San Diego FC talisman Anders Dreyer opened the scoring and found a late equalizer to send his team back to the West Coast with a point after a 2-2 draw and spoil the first MLS match of the Argentine boss.
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Inter Miami defeated Cruz Azul during the week to win the Campeones Cup , but the stalemate with San Diego stretches a winless run in league play to four games. All of those have been draws, but Inter Miami's Supporters' Shield hopes might be slipping away. They now sit 11 points behind leaders Nashville SC , which clinched its playoff place with eight matches remaining.
Dreyer got loose on a 12th-minute breakaway thanks to a seeing-eye pass from Jeppe Tverskov and was able to keep the Miami defenders behind him and loop a shot past Inter Miami goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair .
But just a dozen minutes later, a free kick from Messi flummoxed San Diego goalkeeper CJ Dos Santos , with the Argentine able to celebrate his 101st goal for Inter Miami.
Messi's running buddy Luis Suarez added a nice goal of his own in the 74th minute, converting from a tough angle after a pass from Rodrigo De Paul . But the Tverskov-Dreyer connection was at it again in the 82nd minute, securing a draw with the Denmark international applying a near-perfect first touch and finishing with his next strike of the ball.
While several players head out for international matches, both teams have contests next weekend with Miami traveling to face the Columbus Crew and San Diego FC hosting Austin FC .
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Messi announced his retirement from the Argentina national team after the 2026 World Cup but will be feted at Argentina's Oct. 6 friendly against Benin in Buenos Aires .
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Messi scores, but Dreyer double dampens Gonzalez's Inter Miami MLS debut
