Tadeo Allende recorded a brace, including the tying goal early in the second half, to help Inter Miami play to a high-octane 3-3 draw with the host San Jose Earthquakes on Wednesday night.
Maximiliano Falcon also scored a goal for Miami. Lionel Messi set up the tying goal to allow the Herons (6-2-4, 22 points) to earn a point after losing two of their past three MLS matches.
Cristian “Chicho” Arango, Beau Leroux and Ian Harkes scored goals for San Jose (5-6-2, 17 points), which is unbeaten in its past three MLS matches (2-0-1).
The Earthquakes lost Arango to a lower left leg injury just past the midway point of the first half. He entered the day as part of a tie for the MLS goal-scoring lead. The tally on Wednesday was his ninth of the season.
Daniel had two saves for the Earthquakes, including a big one on Messi’s close-range left-footed shot in the second minute of second-half stoppage time.
San Jose increased its MLS-best goal count to 29 while outshooting Miami 14-9 and having a 6-5 edge in shots on target.
Miami’s Oscar Ustari made three saves.
The teams combined for five first-half goals, and the second half started fast when Allende scored in the 52nd minute. Messi passed wide right to Baltasar Rodríguez, who sent the ball across the front of the goal to Allende for an easy left-footed tap-in.
A wild first half got off to a bang when Inter Miami scored just 35 seconds into the match.
Jordi Alba delivered a high cross toward the front of the net, and Falcon headed it into the net.
The Earthquakes knotted the score in the third minute after a Miami miscue. Cristian Espinoza intercepted a lazy pass by Ustari and sent the ball over to Arango, who booted a right-footed shot into the left corner of the net.
Arango fell to the turf in the 26th minute and grabbed his lower left leg. After he was helped off the field, the Earthquakes played a man down for 3 1/2 minutes before formally adding a sub in the 31st minute.
Six minutes later, San Jose took a 2-1 lead on Leroux’s right-footed shot. It was the rookie’s second career MLS goal.
Miami tied the score in the 44th minute when Alba sent a ball toward the net and a streaking Allende got his right foot on it and knocked it past Daniel.
Harkes scored on a left-footed shot in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time to help the Quakes hold a 3-2 halftime advantage.
–Field Level Media