An 89th-minute goal from Lionel Messi was too little, too late as Nashville SC beat Inter Miami 2-1 on Saturday to stay alive in their MLS Cup round one playoff series.
First-half goals from Sam Surridge and Josh Bauer put Nashville in control at a rainy Geodis Park in Tennessee.
Surridge converted a penalty in the ninth minute to put the hosts in front, slotting to the right of Miami goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo.
Nashville were awarded the spot kick after Rios Novo hesitated coming off his line against a charging Surridge.
Bauer put Nashville 2-0 up on the stroke of halftime, sliding in left-footed after a corner by Hany Mukhtar.
Miami opened the second half in determined style but Luis Suarez’s close-range shot in the 66th minute was parried by Nashville keeper Joe Willis.
Miami and Messi stepped it up in the waning minutes.
Rodrigo De Paul found Messi in the box in the 89th minute and the newly crowned MLS Golden Boot winner wrong-footed his defender and fired a left-footed shot into the top right corner.
Miami had seized control of the series with a 3-1 game one win fueled by a Messi brace, but now they’ll have to host a decisive game three.
It’s an unwelcome reminder of last year, when Miami went into the playoffs having posted the best record in the regular season and won their opening game against Atlanta United only for Atlanta to win the next two and send them packing.
– Philadelphia advance –
Philadelphia Union, the Eastern Conference top seeds and winners of the Supporters Shield with the best record in the league, advanced with a 3-0 victory over Chicago Fire.
Tai Baribo scored twice with crisp finishes in the eighth and 16th minutes and Bruno Damiani added a third in the 35th.
Philadelphia goalkeeper Andre Blake saved a penalty from Brian Gutierrez in the first half and was rarely called on otherwise.
Philadelphia, who beat Chicago in a penalty shoot-out after playing to a 2-2 draw in game one, next face either Charlotte FC or New York City FC in a one-game conference semi-final.
Charlotte forced a game three against NYCFC with a penalty shoot-out victory after the teams played to a goalless draw at Yankee Stadium.
In the Western Conference, Vancouver Whitecaps advanced with a dramatic victory at FC Dallas, topping the hosts in a penalty shoot-out after Ralph Priso pulled Vancouver level at 1-1 in second-half stoppage time.
A corner kick by Sebastian Berhalter found Thomas Muller who knocked it into the path of Priso. His first shot was saved but he slotted home the rebound.
Vancouver had won the opening game of the series 3-0 but were down early in this one, Peter Musa putting Dallas ahead in the 25th minute.
Muller, Berhalter, Kenji Cabrera and Belal Halbouni came through in the shoot-out and Vancouver will host either Los Angeles FC or Austin FC in a Western Conference semi-final.
The Portland Timbers forced a decisive game three against Western Conference top seeds San Diego with a shoot-out win after the teams drew 2-2.
