CITY SC, Inter Miami finish level in high-scoring contest

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - St. Louis CITY SC and Inter Miami CF played to a 3-3 draw Saturday night.

A match that saw St. Louis as large underdogs was loaded with offensive action and tense moments. Despite having nearly 20 points more than St. Louis, Miami certainly had their hands full at Chase Stadium. Fans got what they wanted; a start for Eduard Löwen. The No. 10 made his return to the front lines after not starting a match since early March.

The starting lineup for St. Louis went as follows:

• GK: Bürki
• DEFENSE: Totland, Parker, Nilsson, Markanich
• MIDFIELD: Durkin, Vassilev, Alm, Löwen, Pompeu
• ATTACK: Klauss

In an unfortunate sighting, Rasmus Alm sustained an injury early in the first half, prompting an appearance by Hosei Kijima as a replacement. Sam Adeniran, Nökkvi Thórisson, and Kyle Hiebert were among the other substitutions.

What A First Half

CITY SC opened things up with a rocket from outside the box by Chris Durkin off a cross by Célio Pompeu. A goal within the first 20 minutes of the match.

Inter Miami leveled things soon after. It was, who else, but Lionel Messi who blasted a shot past Roman Bürki around the 27th minute. With this goal, the Miami captain became the fastest player in MLS history to reach 25 goal contributions.

CITY SC would answer back thanks to a low-driven strike inside the box by midfielder Indiana Vassilev in the 40th minute. It was Vassilev’s second goal of the year and it came against his former club. As the half began to close, St. Louis had pulled ahead 2-1.

But Inter Miami wasn’t going to let momentum slip that easily. After carving through the St. Louis defense, Lionel Messi played a ball outside, which was driven by Jordi Alba to a cutting Luis Suarez. Suarez, right in front of goal, belted it in the top left corner in stoppage time. This goal by the former Barcelona teammates ended up being the final scene of the half. No lead for St. Louis, but it was certainly a fantastic start to the match.

Second Half

The second half began with a few close opportunities for St. Louis. Indiana Vassilev nearly notched his second of the game just a few minutes in, but Inter Miami goalkeeper Drake Callender was able to corral the shot. And the CITY SC faithful held their breath in the 65th minute, as Edu Löwen just barely skied a freekick over the crossbar.

Miami also made sure to keep the pressure on. A counterattack by Messi and Suarez against a severely understaffed St. Louis defense nearly broke open the draw.

Throughout the half, both sides had to balance an intense attack while ensuring a stable backline. But St. Louis finally broke through in the 67th minute, as Edu Löwen proved his power from set pieces with a corner kick that deflected into the back of the goal. Luis Suarez ultimately was marked with an own goal, but a 3-2 lead against Inter Miami, orchestrated by Edu, goes a long way for St. Louis CITY SC and its fans.

As the 70th minute hit, Miami seemed on the verge of leveling things again. A superb save by Bürki off a strike from the foot of Miami’s Benjamin Cremaschi kept St. Louis on top. And with just seven minutes of regular time remaining, Messi rattled off two near-open-goal shots that both missed.

Eventually, however, the moment came for Miami. Jordi Alba, in a very well-timed run, slotted the ball into the back of the net from a high through ball played by the defense. This was the third time Miami had climbed back into the contest after going down.

And just as it seemed Miami was going to steal a win, CITY SC’s man in goal and captain Roman Bürki made a diving save to extend the draw. After what seemed like the longest five minutes of stoppage time ever, both sides finished level at 3-3. The eighth, and most-impressive, draw of the season for St. Louis. Chris Durkin took home the CITY SC Man of the Match.

Up next, CITY SC returns to CITYPARK to face the Portland Timbers—the first meeting of the two teams in 2024.

For more on St. Louis CITY SC, click here.

Copyright 2024 KMOV. All rights reserved.