After the defeat in the top match, Inter Miami have bounced back in the MLS and retaken the lead in the East. Behind them, the teams behind them fell flat in a row
Inter Miami made amends twice on Thursday night (CEST) for their recent 6-1 defeat at FC Cincinnati: with a win and a return to the top of the table. The team led by the injured Lionel Messi ousted Cincinnati from the throne in the Eastern Conference with a commanding 3:1 home win against Toronto FC and a surprising 0:1 defeat of their rivals against Chicago Fire.
While Messi will have to sit out at least one more game following the ankle injury he suffered in the Copa America final, another Argentinian came up trumps at Chase Stadium: 21-year-old Federico Redondo scored his first two MLS goals (53rd/59th), having already set up Diego Gomez for the opening goal (43rd).
The evergreen Julian Gressel, who set up the 2-0 lead with a free-kick cross and was also involved in the third goal, recorded his 14th assist in all competitions and his twelfth in the league – putting him in third place behind Luciano Acosta (Cincinnati, 17) and Messi (13). Derrick Etienne Jr. only managed to score a consolation goal for the visitors (79′).
Outstanding Benteke has the last word
Of the six best teams in the East, Inter were the only ones to manage a win. Columbus Crew (3rd) and Charlotte FC (6th) only managed a point (1:1) in their direct duel, as did Sandro Schwarz’s New York Red Bulls (4th) in their 2:2 draw with Club de Foot Montreal and New York City FC (5th) in their 2:2 draw with Atlanta United
The fans at Allianz Field witnessed a spectacular final phase between Minnesota United and DC United: After former Schalke player Teemu Pukki had turned the game around with his goal to make it 2-1 in the 80th minute, the visitors mounted a late comeback. Old master Christian Benteke first set up the 2:2 through Aaron Herrera (90′) and scored the 3:2 winner a minute later. The 33-year-old, who had already scored the 1:0, now has 16 goals for the season and his team can dream of the play-offs again after their second successive three-pointer.