NASHVILLE: Lionel Messi scored a late goal but sixth-seeded Nashville beat No. 3 seed Inter Miami 2-1 in Game 2 of the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs on Saturday night.
The teams will meet in Fort Lauderdale on Nov. 8 for a decisive Game 3.
It was Nashville’s first playoff win since the 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs, when it defeated Orlando 2-1 at home in first round. Saturday’s victory was also Nashville’s first over Miami since May 17, 2023, in a 2-1 result.
“That was a team that was committed to playing in an aggressive and intense way and was able to do it for a long period of time tonight,” Nashville coach B.J. Callaghan said. “That was a challenge that we put on ourselves and tonight was a good example of that.”
Sam Surridge opened the scoring in the ninth minute, finding the back of the net on a penalty shot with Inter Miami goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo diving the opposite way of the shot.
Nashville struck again before the half as Josh Bauer connected with Hany Mukhtar’s corner kick in the 45th minute to bump the lead to 2-0.
“I’m always trying to score on those set pieces,” Bauer said. “Those are kind of our moments as defenders to get up the field and get our chance. I do think that I’m someone that other teams maybe don’t plan for or forget about.
“If I can kind of slip under the radar and get myself in a good spot, credit to the coaching staff for putting us in those areas.”
Inter Miami made things interesting late as Messi scored his sixth goal in three games against Nashville in the 90th minute.
“It’s our job to collectively work to stop it. That’s the beauty of the game,” Callaghan said on limiting Messi’s impact. “You’re not ever thinking that you’re going to eliminate him from the game totally, but you have to be able to neutralize some of the things that they’re (elite players) trying to do.”
Miami had a 10-9 shot advantage but Nashville had five shots on net to Miami’s three.
The winner of the three-game series will face No. 2 Cincinnati or No. 7 Columbus Crew in the conference semifinals. Cincinnati leads that series, 1-0.
“It’s hard to win on the road in this league and we know it’s going to take an effort even greater than what we had tonight to beat them on the road,” Bauer said on facing Miami in Game 3.
Messi scores but Nashville staves off MLS Cup elimination in Game 2 win over Inter Miami
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Messi scores but Nashville staves off MLS Cup elimination in Game 2 win over Inter Miami
- Messi scored his sixth goal in three games against Nashville in the 90th minute
- The teams will meet in Fort Lauderdale on Nov. 8 for a decisive Game 3
Strong Arab lineup set for Saudi Open at Dirab
- Top Saudi Arabia professionals and amateurs will take part from Dec. 10-13
RIYADH: The Saudi Open presented by PIF, taking place at the Dirab Golf and Country Club from Dec. 10 to 13, will feature one of the largest domestic and Arab fields in the tournament’s history.
This year’s championship includes leading Arab players from Morocco, Egypt, Kuwait, Qatar and Algeria, alongside a powerful Saudi Arabia presence comprising professionals and amateurs.
Five of Saudi Arabia’s top professionals and Golf Saudi ambassadors will compete: Othman Almulla, Saud Al-Sharif, Faisal Salhab, Khalid Attieh, and Shergo Al-Kurdi.
In addition several Saudi amateurs are competing including Abdulhakim Alnajran, Khalid Al-Qunai’bit, Ali Babtain, and Prince Khalid bin Saud Al-Faisal. They will face an elite international field at the Asian Tour’s season-ending event.
With a prize fund of $1 million, the event offers a valuable opportunity for Arab and Saudi players to gain international exposure.
This year marks the first time the season finale has been hosted at the Dirab Golf Club, one of the Kingdom’s established courses, that has helped introduce the game to new players.
Almulla, Saudi Arabia’s first professional golfer, will bring leadership and experience to the national lineup. Almulla has been a part of the national golf program for more than a decade.
Salhab and Attieh have come through the national pathway and now compete regularly against leading fields in the region.
Al-Sharif remains a core member of Saudi national teams and continues to build his experience across a range of events. The inclusion of emerging amateur Alnajran reflects the opportunity for promising amateurs to test themselves in a high-performance environment.
