Surridge punishes Inter Miami CF in stoppage time to salvage a draw for Nashville SC

Sam Surridge spoiled the party for Inter Miami CF in the final breath of the match. The Nashville SC forward scored both of his team's goals, the second in the 90th minute, to seal a 2-2 draw at Nu Stadium that cost the home side points just when they seemed to have put the game away with a stunning goal from Lionel Messi.

The match started with an almost immediate blow: barely into the 3rd minute, Surridge connected on a right-footed shot from inside the box off an assist from Andy Najar to make it 0-1. Inter Miami CF pushed back with persistence and got the equalizer through an unfortunate route for Nashville: in the 18th minute, a ball that ended up in Reed Baker-Whiting's own net made it 1-1, just after Messi had tried his luck from outside the box on the previous play.

The first half closed with that draw and chances for both sides, including a shot from Cristian Espinoza that grazed the crossbar and several attempts from Hany Mukhtar that missed the target. Right at the start of the second half, Messi rattled the crossbar just moments after the restart, a sign that the Inter Miami CF captain was hunting for a goal. He found it in the 61st minute: a left-footed shot from outside the box, assisted by Rodrigo De Paul, that slipped in by the left post to make it 2-1.

Inter Miami CF managed the lead for much of the final stretch, with Luis Suarez and Messi himself creating danger in attack, but Nashville SC refused to give up. That persistence paid off in stoppage time: in the 90th minute, after a shot from Shak Mohammed was saved, Surridge pounced to knock in the rebound from close range and make it a final 2-2, an outcome that left the Nu Stadium crowd stunned.

What the numbers say

Inter Miami CF controlled the ball, with 62.3% possession compared to 37.7% for Nashville SC, and also moved the ball far more: 550 passes to 321. Still, Nashville SC was sharper in front of goal in terms of shot volume, even if less accurate.

As for the estimated xG based on the shots taken in the match, Inter Miami CF generated 2.52 expected goals to Nashville SC's 2.01, a figure calculated after the fact that confirms the home team had more than enough chances to take all three points, even though the final score ended up splitting the spoils.

What was projected versus what happened

Before the match, our projection gave Inter Miami CF a 38% chance of winning, Nashville SC 36%, and a draw 26%, with combined expected goals of 3.3 between both teams. The final result, a 2-2 with four goals scored, fit reasonably well with that script of an evenly matched game with goals at both ends, though the draw outcome ended up being exactly what happened in the end, despite not being the favorite on paper.

What the result means

In the Eastern Conference, Nashville SC comes into this match as the leader with 54 points from 25 matches, while Inter Miami CF sits in second place with 45 points also from 25 matches, nine points behind. The draw does not change the order between the two clubs, but it does leave a bittersweet feeling for the home side: they dominated possession, took the lead thanks to Messi's individual brilliance, and still watched Surridge, with his two goals, cut into their haul in the match's final gasp.