After all the dust had settled from the day’s matches, Inter Miami CF was the last club standing from Major League Soccer. At the same time as their duel with Palmeiras was the clash between FC Porto and Al Ahly. Two big matches with very big implications in Group A.
In New Jersey, an eight-goal thriller entertained the sea of Al Ahly fans that took over the stadium. A 4-4 draw would see both clubs out of the tournament. At Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, the boys in pink would see a 2-0 lead slip away in the second half and end the match with Palmeiras in a 2-2 draw. These results meant that Inter Miami would face Paris Saint-Germain in the Round of 16, and Palmeiras would take part in the first match between two clubs from the same country.
Inter Miami made their presence felt with a goal that spanned the length of the pitch in the 16th minute. Tadeo Allende received a beautiful flick-on at the halfway mark and sped past the high line Palmeiras had set. As he closed in on the keeper, he sent a rocket past Wéverton to take the early lead. Luis Suárez followed that up in the second half with a goal of his own to extend the lead to two.
Palmeiras would fight their way back in the second half. In the 80th minute, a through ball made it through a packed 18-yard box straight to the feet of Paulinho. The Brazilian made sure of his effort 1 v 1 with the keeper, and slotted it home to breathe life back into his side. With three minutes left in regulation, Mauricio drew the match level in the 87th minute. Palmeiras came back to life late in the second half to score twice in seven minutes.
“We had the win in our hands. We had 70 minutes that were great, then we got relaxed,” said Inter Miami’s Jordi Alba after the match. “We were a bit tired. We were close to winning the match, but now we have to face PSG.”
“We need to improve some weaknesses, but when you’re concentrated, you can hurt the opponent. You have to focus on the 90 minutes,” Inter Miami striker Luis Suárez began. “This is football, and the pitch is 11 vs. 11. The South American DNA is very competitive. I’m happy about the sacrifice of this team, but yes, it’s a bittersweet feeling because we almost won the group.”
Palmeiras will take on fellow Brasileiro Série A club Botafogo on Saturday, June 28 at Noon/ET. PSG will take on Inter Miami on Sunday, June 29 at Noon/ET.
-Jon Jones
Photos: Getty Images