Inter Miami Struggles but Salvages a Point

Inter Miami had a tough outing on the road against struggling DC United. Without Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba in the squad, and with Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets, and Rodrigo De Paul starting on the bench, head coach Javier Mascherano saw his team in trouble.

The veterans were called upon in the second half to avoid defeat after Baltasar Rodríguez scored a stunning long-range strike to level the game 1-1 in Washington. The draw leaves Inter in fifth place in the Eastern Conference with 46 points, eight behind leaders Philadelphia Union, who regained the top spot after a 4-0 win over Chicago Fire.

Fixture congestion has forced Mascherano to rotate heavily, with Inter preparing for Wednesday’s Leagues Cup semifinal clash against Orlando City, who suffered a 5-1 defeat to Nashville. In that game, Colombian striker Luis Muriel scored but was sent off minutes later, while English forward Sam Surridge netted twice to move atop the MLS scoring chart with 20 goals, one ahead of Messi.

Son Shines in the West as San Diego Makes History

In the Western Conference, Son Heung-Min stole the spotlight with his first MLS goal — a brilliant free kick that put LAFC ahead before they eventually settled for a 1-1 draw with Dallas. The South Korean’s strike offered hope for LAFC, but the dropped points prevented them from climbing further up the table.

The round also saw history for San Diego FC, who became the first team to clinch a playoff spot in their debut MLS season. Their qualification was sealed after defeats for Austin in Montreal (3-2) and Real Salt Lake against Minnesota United (3-1), along with the draw between Dallas and LAFC.

Elsewhere, Colombian forward Cristian Arango scored in San Jose Earthquakes’ 2-1 victory over Houston Dynamo, while Ecuadorian striker Leonardo Campana opened the scoring in New England Revolution’s 2-1 win against Columbus Crew. Mexican forward Daniel Ríos rescued a 2-2 draw for Vancouver Whitecaps against St. Louis City.