Lionel Messi scored twice and Drake Callender made a late penalty kick save when Inter Miami held on for a 3-2 victory over the host Columbus Crew to clinch the Supporters’ Shield in a battle of heavyweights on Wednesday.
Callender dove to his right to stop Cucho Hernandez from tying it 3-3 in the 84th minute after Hernandez had beaten him earlier in the match from the spot.
Messi stunned the sellout crowd with goals in the 45th minute and fifth minute of first-half stoppage time to give Miami (20-4-8, 68 points) what seemed like a comfortable lead.
But the Crew (16-6-9, 57 points) got a goal from Diego Rossi in the 46th minute before a defensive blunder gifted Miami’s Luis Suarez his 18th goal to make it 3-1 in the matchup of the top teams in the Eastern Conference.
Hernandez converted a penalty in the 61st to cut the deficit to 3-2 but just two minutes later, Crew defender Rudy Camacho was sent off after his second yellow.
With the win, Miami is still on track to set the MLS record for points in a season set by the New England Revolution in 2021 with 73.
Miami needs to beat Toronto FC and New England to end the season.
The Herons extended their unbeaten streak to nine matches.
They entered with three ties after five consecutive victories.
The Crew were 2-0-2 in their past four matches and were trying to set a club record by surpassing the 57 points accrued in 2008 and 2023. Each of those teams won the MLS Cup.
Lionel Messi gives Inter Miami draw with Charlotte FC
Messi, playing against Columbus for the first time, broke the scoreless deadlock with a short chip past Patrick Schulte and doubled the score with a 24-yard free kick for his 17th goal in 17 MLS matches.
The Crew responded just after the break when Rossi deftly sliced a left-foot shot to the far corner for his 12th goal but soon after Schulte and Camacho collided and Suarez easily scored.
Hernandez notched his 17th goal after a handball on Noah Allen.
Later, Miami’s Ian Fray was whistled for the same infraction but Hernandez dropped to 2 for 4 on PKs this season.
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