Philadelphia Union 3–3 Inter Miami: Takeaways From Herons' Latest Six-Goal Thriller | OneFootball

A classic free-kick from Lionel Messi helped lift Inter Miami CF to a late comeback and a 3–3 draw against the Philadelphia Union on Saturday night, securing a point in a match that seemed to have gotten away from them.

Quinn Sullivan opened the scoring for the Union in the seventh minute. MLS Golden Boot leader Tai Baribo scored twice to bring his league-high total to 13 goals. Tadeo Allende found the back of the net in the 60th minute for the Herons, before Messi and Telasco Segovia scored in the final moments to earn a point.

While the draw extended their winless streak to four matches, and only improved their points total to 23 in 14 games, it was an inspiring effort in an otherwise disappointing 2025 season.

Before Miami turn their focus to Wednesday’s home matchup against CF Montréal, here are three takeaways from their comeback against the Union.

A High Character Effort

Jovan Lukić (left) made sure to not make things easy on Lionel Messi and Inter Miami at Subaru Park. / Caean Couto-Imagn Images

For many of Miami’s losses through a challenging 2025, they have whimpered away in the final moments of matches. Under head coach Javier Mascherano, it seemed as though the group did not have a belief that they could overturn poor starts.

Yet, they shocked the first-place team in the Eastern Conference with a three-goal second half and relying not only on a starring moment from Messi but also contributions from their depth attackers.

While defensive issues continued to plague them, they showed their ability to play out of tricky situations and battled with one of the most determined teams in the league. Earlier in the week, Messi and Luis Suárez sat their teammates down for a players’ only meeting, and that action looks to have played out in their strong effort against the Union.

Halftime also played a role, with Mascherano offering insight into his halftime talk on Sunday after the match.

"I talked to them that we are in a situation that is s***. It is s***. We are in the s***...The only way to see the sun is to give everything,” he told reporters post-match. “We showed character and personality; they showed they want to fight their way out of this situation.”

It wasn’t a win and didn't put Miami back among the top teams in the league, but it was undoubtedly the most important result of their season. The overall feeling of this 3–3 draw was much different from last week’s 3–3 draw against the San Jose Earthquakes.

Lazy Defending Costs Miami Again

While Miami certainly improved their efforts late in the match, the night started with another glaring defensive error, the latest in a season full of them.

Fresh off a call-up to the U.S. men’s national team for friendlies ahead of the Concacaf Gold Cup, Quinn Sullivan had plenty of time to set up a curling shot past Miami’s Oscar Ustari to open the scoring in the seventh minute.

Miami had five players all focused on getting organized for the corner kick, but failed to pay any attention to Sullivan’s space at the top of the box, which Kai Wagner quickly made the most of.

On Baribo's third goal, the Israeli’s second of the night, Miami also struggled to track his run and failed to play him offside.

In many ways, it was an improved performance across the team, and Ustari had a strong showing with four stops. Yet, it was Miami’s consequential defensive lapses that cost them in a game they could have actually won.

Possession, Patience and Driving Spaces

Tomás Avilés had a strong showing in a rare start on the Inter Miami CF backline. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

It’s a factor that hasn’t been seen much with Inter Miami in 2025, but their first goal on Saturday showcased some of the best qualities of the 2024 team. Instead of quickly rushing or relying on individual expense, Miami linked together 16 passes in a buildup before finding Allende in the box to finish a header.

While Noah Allen served up the pinpoint cross and Messi played a key role in maintaining possession, it was Tomás Avilés who opened up the midfield on the play. Rather than sitting back and waiting for a better option, Avilés charged through and dribbled past a defender into open space before finding Allen for the cross.

In the past eras of MLS, Avilés would have gotten a secondary assist for such a play, and it was a ball-advancing move that Miami largely lacked in 2025. The move was reminiscent of several creative moments from Sergio Busquets from last season and could show the Spanish midfielder that such opportunities can continue to arise.

Given Miami's extensive individual and dribbling skills, driving past a defender into space could completely change their attacking fortunes, and could be something players look to do more often.

However, it did pose a troubling question as to why Mascherano opted to take Avilés out of the match early, continuing to limit his opportunities in a season that has seen him play just 488 minutes.