Lionel Messi was on target but he could not help new Inter Miami coach Kily Gonzalez record a debut MLS victory as San Diego claimed a deserved 2-2 draw at Nu Stadium.
Messi netted his 101st Miami goal but was overshadowed by San Diego’s Anders Dreyer, who opened the scoring in the 12th-minute and then grabbed an 82nd-minute equaliser after Luis Suarez had put the hosts in front.
It was a disappointing outcome for Gonzalez, who was finally able to sit in the dugout for a league game after an issue with a work visa was resolved.
“We’ve been here for four days and haven’t been able to train properly. Defensively, we really need to be much stronger,” González said.
“We can’t commit these defensive horrors, they come at a high cost. That final situation shouldn’t have happened. It’s surreal to be in a position to win the game, yet nearly lose it.
“We only avoided defeat because our goalkeeper saved us.”
Gonzalez claims Inter Miami were complacent
Gonzalez’s first match in charge was the midweek win over Mexican side Cruz Azul in the Campeones Cup and the Argentine felt his side were still feeling riding the wave of that encounter.
“I think the Campeones Cup might have had an unconscious effect, especially in the first half, leading to a bit of complacency,” González added. “These are factors that are part of football. At a club where we are obliged to win every match we play, we have to rise to the occasion. We made significant adjustments at halftime to get the team flowing and ensure we stayed compact, keeping the lines tight so we wouldn’t suffer the way we did in the first half.”
Messi’s goal came via a 24th-minute free-kick that drifted past everyone in the box and flew into the far corner. It was his 20th league goal of the season but it was not enough to prevent Miami from recording a fourth successive draw.
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