Miami Blew a 3-0 Lead That Started With Two Messi Corners — and New England's Loss Meant Even a Defeat Would Have Kept Them Second

Inter Miami led Charlotte FC 3-0 at halftime on Decision Day after two Lionel Messi corners created the opening goals and Rodrigo De Paul added a third. By full time it was 3-3 at Nu Stadium, and the collapse still did not cost the reigning champions second place in the Eastern Conference. New England's 1-0 loss at Orlando left the Revolution on 58 points. Miami finished on 60 after the draw; a defeat would have left them on 59, still one point above third.

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That is the piece the scoreline hides. A New England win would have put the Revolution on 61 points and dropped a drawing Miami into third. Orlando's result removed that threat even as Miami's lead disappeared. The Herons locked home-field advantage for at least the first two rounds of the playoffs and will open against the Columbus Crew.

Charlotte thought it had scored in the fourth minute. Casemiro's weak header back toward his own goalkeeper was intercepted, Idan Toklomati set up Liel Abada, and the finish was ruled out for a handball against Toklomati.

Messi took the first of Miami's two corners in the 14th minute. Luca de la Torre could not deal with the outswinging delivery; the ball came off the Charlotte midfielder and sat up for Ian Fray, who finished from close range for his second goal of the season.

The second corner arrived in the 33rd minute. Germán Berterame flicked Messi's inswinging service on at the near post, and Luis Suárez finished at the far post. Inter Miami credited Messi with the assist, his 17th of the regular season, on Suárez's 17th goal.

De Paul made it 3-0 in the 42nd minute, given room outside the box to drive a right-footed shot low to Kristijan Kahlina's right for his sixth league goal of the season. Miami's official numbers had the hosts at 59.9 percent possession and an 11-9 edge in shots — from only two corners, both of which produced goals.

Dean Smith's side had already wasted a first-half opening: Toklomati went through on Dayne St. Clair in the 36th minute, and the goalkeeper blocked the shot. Smith changed the picture at halftime, sending on Tyger Smalls for Toklomati.

Abada scored twice inside the first 10 minutes of the second half. In the 50th minute, Ashley Westwood's long diagonal found Smalls at the back post, and Smalls put the ball back across the six-yard box for Abada to finish. Five minutes later Abada played a one-two with Pep Biel — Biel's backheel, Abada's first-time shot into the bottom left corner — for his 10th goal of the season, the first time he has reached double figures for Charlotte.

That finish was Biel's 18th assist of the regular season, which Charlotte said led MLS, and it gave the club three players with at least 10 goals: Abada, Biel and Toklomati.

Messi then steered a header wide from the edge of the six-yard box, according to AFP. The equalizer arrived in the 90th minute. David Schnegg's cross was only half-cleared by Micael, Smalls struck the left post, and Rodolfo Aloko converted the rebound for his third goal in seven matches. Messi hit the post in stoppage time, and Aloko sent a late shot into the outside netting.

"They showed a lot of character in the second half, and that's really impressive for the boys," Smith said. He was less impressed with the defending that put Charlotte in that hole. "I'm disappointed with the defending," he said. "Listen, I'll have to look back on it. I think we've got bodies in that area that should be doing better."

Miami closed the regular season at 16-6-12 for 60 points. Charlotte finished 15-10-9 for 54 points and the No. 5 seed, a win away from climbing above Chicago into fourth, and will visit the Fire at Soldier Field in Game 1 of their best-of-three before hosting Game 2 at Bank of America Stadium.

The rest of Decision Day filled in the bracket around them. Nashville beat Cincinnati 2-0 and finished on 77 points, an MLS regular-season record. Columbus's last-gasp 4-3 win at Chicago, sealed by Brais Méndez, lifted the Crew to seventh and out of the wild-card game; they now meet Miami. Orlando's win over New England dropped the Lions into the wild-card match at home against Cincinnati on Nov. 19 and sent the Revolution into a Round One series against Philadelphia Union. Best-of-three opening series begin Nov. 20.

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Miami will have that home-field advantage in at least the opening two playoff rounds, even after a regular-season home record of six wins, two losses and nine draws. Messi did not add to his 26 league goals on Saturday. AFP noted that Petar Musa would have needed five goals in Dallas's later match to stop him from a second straight Golden Boot; Dallas drew 1-1 with the Colorado Rapids, so the gap did not close. The more lasting number from the afternoon is simpler: a three-goal lead built on two Messi corners vanished in 45 minutes, and second place survived anyway because New England did not win.