Striker Mikael Uhre once again set the stage by scoring just 62 seconds into the match, marking his second consecutive game with an opening goal. Uhre capitalized on a clearance attempt from David Martínez, settled outside the box, and carefully placed a shot into the bottom left corner past goalie Drake Callendar.
Following the electrifying start, Philadelphia controlled offensive play for the first 20 minutes. Uhre, along with teammates Tai Baribo and Dániel Gazdag, collectively attempted four shots on target after the initial goal.
However, the momentum shifted when Lionel Messi, returning to the Miami lineup for the first time in 105 days, equalized with an assist from Luis Suárez. Just minutes later, Messi added a second goal, aided by a pass from Jordi Alba that found him for a shot to the bottom right corner.
Inter Miami nearly went up 3-1 before halftime, as Luis Suárez scored after being assisted by Messi, but a VAR review determined Messi was offside, resulting in the goal being disallowed.
At the beginning of the second half, Philadelphia had a chance to level the score with an attempt from Uhre, but shortly after, the Union were forced to commit a tactical foul to prevent a possible goal from Messi. Jack Elliott found himself in a one-on-one situation with Messi and fouled him to avoid the danger, receiving a yellow card in the process. As a result, Elliott will miss Philadelphia’s upcoming match against NYCFC due to yellow card accumulation.
Midway through the second half, coach Jim Curtin made his first substitutions, bringing on Samuel Adeniran and Alejandro Bedoya for Uhre and Jack McGlynn, respectively. The substitutions preserved the Union’s 4-4-2 diamond formation and allowed Quinn Sullivan to play further up the pitch while Bedoya took on defensive duties.
Almost immediately after the substitutions, Sullivan delivered a cross to Adeniran, who narrowly missed the target, hitting the ball just over the crossbar.
As the second half progressed, Inter Miami made defensive adjustments, transitioning to a back five, which created opportunities for the Union to attack. This included a near miss from Gazdag, a long-range effort from Elliott, and a scramble play from Adeniran in the closing minutes.
After a momentary delay due to Kai Wagner’s injury, Messi made a pivotal contribution, setting up Suárez for a goal to seal the victory.
Notable Points:
– Goalkeeper Andre Blake missed his 19th match of the season due to an injury sustained while on international duty.
– Jack Elliott’s yellow card means he will be sidelined for Wednesday’s match against NYCFC.
– With only six matches remaining, the Union currently sits in 11th place and must secure victories to improve their chances for a wild card playoff spot.
Lineups:
Philadelphia: Andrew Rick, Jack Elliott, Jakob Glesnes, Leon Flach (Danley Jean Jacques—82′), Kai Wagner, Nathan Harriel (Olivier Mbaizo—88′), Dániel Gazdag, Jack McGlynn (Alejandro Bedoya—63′), Quinn Sullivan (Jeremy Rafanello—88′), Mikkel Uhre (Samuel Adeniran—63′), Tai Baribo.
Unused subs: Cavan Sullivan, Oliver Semmle, Jesús Bueno, Chris Donovan.
Inter Miami FC: Drake Callender, Héctor Martínez (Noah Allen—15′; Ian Fray—90’+2′), Tomás Avilés, Jordi Alba, Marcelo Weigandt, Sergio Busquets, Federico Redondo (David Ruiz—90’+2′), Julian Gressel (Yannick Bright—81′), Luis Suárez, Diego Gómez (Benjamin Cremaschi—81′), Lionel Messi.
Unused subs: Óscar Ustari, Robert Taylor, Franco Negri, Leonardo Campana.
Scoring Summary:
PHI – Mikael Uhre — 2′
MIA – Lionel Messi — 26′
MIA – Lionel Messi — 30′
MIA – Luis Suárez — 90’+8′
Misconduct Summary:
MIA – Tomás Avilés — 32′
PHI – Jack Elliott — 56′
PHI – Quinn Sullivan — 72′
MIA – Luis Suárez — 75′
MIA – Lionel Messi — 87′
MIA – Sergio Busquets — 90’+5′