Inter Miami salvage 2-2 draw with FC Cincinnati on Riquelme Fillipi's 90th-minute goal as Messi is held scoreless

Inter Miami needed a late rescue on Wednesday night, Oct. 28, and a substitute delivered it. Riquelme Fillipi scored his first MLS goal in the 90th minute to earn a 2-2 draw with FC Cincinnati in Miami, after Cincinnati had scored twice in six minutes to take the lead.

Lionel Messi was held scoreless and picked up a first-half yellow card, according to The Associated Press. The point wasn’t enough to keep Miami in second place in the Eastern Conference.

Cincinnati vs. Inter Miami: how the goals came

After a scoreless first half, Luis Suárez broke through in the 61st minute. According to Inter Miami’s recap, Casemiro found him on the left side of the box, and Suárez curled a right-footed shot into the top corner for his 16th goal of the regular season. It was Casemiro’s first assist since joining the club in the summer.

Cincinnati then flipped the game. Kenji Mboma Dem equalized in the 80th minute, and Samuel Gidi scored his first MLS goal on a counterattack from the top of the box six minutes later, the AP reported.

Fillipi, a Brazilian winger who came on in the 83rd minute, answered almost from the same spot as Suárez. He took a pass from Rodrigo De Paul down the left, cut inside past a defender and finished into the bottom corner. That was De Paul’s 16th assist of the regular season, the most on the team, according to the club.

The chance that almost won it for Cincinnati

The match nearly ended differently. In stoppage time, Cincinnati star Evander had a shot from around the penalty spot, but Inter Miami defender Ian Fray got his body in front of it, the AP reported. Cincinnati’s corner kick that followed came to nothing.

Match stats

According to Inter Miami’s recap:

• Possession: Miami 58.6%, Cincinnati 41.4%
• Shots: Miami 14, Cincinnati 13
• Saves: Miami 1, Cincinnati 2
• Corners: Miami 4, Cincinnati 3

What the draw means for the MLS standings

For Inter Miami, the reigning MLS Cup champions, the tie stung because of a result elsewhere. New England beat Red Bull New York 3-2 on Wednesday to reach 58 points, two ahead of Miami, which is now 15-6-11 with 56 points and third in the East.

That sets up a huge game on Sunday, Nov. 1, when Miami visits the Revolution at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts (7 p.m. ET). The AP said the result will go a long way toward deciding the East’s No. 2 seed and potentially the No. 2 seed for the whole MLS Cup playoffs. Miami closes the regular season at home against Charlotte on Nov. 7.

For FC Cincinnati, it was a missed opportunity. Cincinnati needed a win in Miami plus a Columbus loss to Dallas to formally clinch a playoff berth. The draw means the club is still working to lock up its spot.

A rematch is already set

Before kickoff, MLS announced that next year’s Sprint Season will open with Cincinnati visiting Miami on Feb. 19, the AP reported. The shortened season is meant to bridge the league’s current calendar and the new, more internationally aligned schedule that begins in July 2027.

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