Union unable to hold early lead, fall to Inter Miami in Messi’s return

For the second straight game, Mikael Uhre had the Philadelphia Union in front on the road but unlike in New Jersey, the Union’s opponent had Lionel Messi on their side.

Messi was back starting after missing two months with an ankle injury, which was more bad news for a Union team missing Andre Blake to injury (again).

Early on it looked like the Union might be on their way to another road win in a similar manner they won last time out against the New York Red Bulls, but the illusive second goal would prove to be their downfall. They had chances to double their lead on a shot from Quinn Sullivan that went wide of the target in the third minute and a rushed Tai Baribo shot in the fourth minute right at the keeper when he may have been able to play Uhre in.

Again in the 18th minute the Union had a chance to capitalize on a Tomás Avilés mistake (his headed clearance led to Uhre’s first) when the 20-year-old defender passed the ball back right into the path of Uhre. Drake Callender was somehow able to make two saves near the edge of the 18 to clear the danger and deny what you would normally expect to be an almost automatic goal in transition for the boys in blue. Two minutes later Baribo was unable to cleanly handle a great ball in from Daniel Gazdag that then gave the defense time to swarm him and Callender a chance to deny the more difficult shot.

With the Union scuffling their chances to go up by two, Messi started to roll and was able to run through the defense and finish with his right foot in the box to level the score in the 26th minute. All that work for the Union to go up and try to grab a second and Messi just makes it look easy dancing his way through to snatch his 13th goal in his 13th game of the season.

Four minutes later it was a similar story, this time with Jordi Alba crossing it to him in the box for the left-footed finish: 2-1 Miami.

Luis Suarez, who played a role in the second goal with a well executed dummy, would find the back of the net after an ill-fated Tai Baribo spin move attempt coughed the ball up to set up a Messi to Suarez goal. Luckily for the Union, Messi was found to be just offside in the video review and the deficit was still one heading into the break.

It would prove to be an insurmountable deficit to overcome despite a number of additional chances to draw level. Uhre was played in by Gazdag 10 minutes after halftime but his shot went wide of the target and Quinn Sullivan delivered a pretty left-footed cross that found the head of Sam Adeniran but not the back of the net in the 68th minute. Suarez would add a third deep in stoppage time – his 17th of the season – almost as if he was taunting a tortured fanbase well aware of the disparity between teams like Miami that sign Messi and his friends and a team with no room in their modest payroll for that kind of luxury.

Yet again, it wasn’t that the Union were overmatched; it was just that the quality of Messi and Suarez was able to deliver the finished product a very talented but flawed Union side was unable to find. Underlining that disparity, the Union would finish the night with 20 shots, 8 on target and a 2.6 xG to Miami’s 1.3.

Now, another game goes by without any movement in the standings and a road trip to the always tricky Yankee Stadium pitch on short rest. Games against DC United and Atlanta United may yet be the decider of the Union’s playoff hopes but capitalizing on chances – something they were unable to do for 89 minutes after the opening Uhre salvo – will be key both to Wednesday’s visit to the Big Apple and for the hopes of the season lasting beyond October 19.