Inter Miami lose 2-1 at Columbus despite Messi free-kick goal

Inter Miami lost 2-1 at Columbus Crew, conceding on 90+8 minutes to stretch their winless run in MLS to five games. A goal from Jamal Thiaré, who converted the rebound after goalkeeper Rocco Ríos parried a Brais Méndez shot straight back into play, decided it.

The winner went to a VAR check for offside. Inter Miami's players appealed, but referee Victor Rivas allowed it. Head coach Keely González was shown a yellow card for protesting. The visitors were already down to 10 men, Santiago Morales having been booked twice in added time.

Lionel Messi had scored from a free kick, curled into the left corner. Columbus were awarded a penalty after a VAR review, when Yannik Bright was ruled to have held Chambos at a corner. Bright went off injured before the interval. Columbus had 6 shots on target to Inter Miami's 3 and 9 corners to 1, though Inter Miami had 56% of the ball.

It is González's first defeat in his third game in charge, following a trophy in his first. The four games before this were all draws, among them a 2-2 at Nashville on 13 September, when Inter Miami led 2-1 and were pegged back late. They stay third in the Eastern Conference on 46 points from 27 games, according to Sports.ru. Columbus began the day second from bottom in the East.

Euro-Football.ru marked Ríos at 3.0 out of 10 for spilling the ball before the winner, and gave the same mark to Bright and to right-back Facundo Mura, who did not win a duel in more than 70 minutes. Carlos Casemiro got 7.0 and Rodrigo De Paul 6.5. Messi, on 19 goals, leads the league scoring chart.

Morales will miss the next fixture through suspension. This was the last game before the international break, and Messi is due to play his final match for Argentina against Benin on 6 October. If the run reaches a sixth game, Inter Miami will come out of the break with the pressure on them rather than the momentum.