The Chicago Fire and Inter Miami battled to a goalless draw in front of a record crowd at Soldier Field, with Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez unable to break the deadlock. The hosts, managed by Gregg Berhalter, put on a resilient display to frustrate the star-studded visitors.
Despite early chances for Messi and Suárez, Chicago stood firm and even had opportunities of their own through Mauricio Pineda and Philip Zinckernagel. The match remained tense throughout, with both teams pushing for a breakthrough.
Suárez missed a golden opportunity just before halftime, while Chicago continued to threaten in the second half, particularly through Jonathan Bamba. The hosts came close to scoring late on, but Inter Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari made crucial saves to keep his team in the game.
In the end, neither side could find the back of the net, with Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano acknowledging the physical and mental toll of their recent fixtures. The draw was a hard-fought result for Miami, who now have a much-needed break to rest and regroup.
In other MLS action, Phil Neville’s Portland Timbers secured a 4-2 victory over Sporting Kansas City, with Venezuelan striker Kevin Kelsy scoring twice. The Timbers extended their unbeaten run to five matches and moved up to fourth in the Western Conference.
The Columbus Crew also notched a comeback win, defeating St. Louis City 2-1. João Klauss opened the scoring for the hosts, but Steven Moreira and Diego Rossi struck back for the Crew to seal the victory.
Overall, it was an action-packed weekend in MLS, with the Chicago Fire holding Messi’s Inter Miami to a draw and several other exciting matches taking place across the league. Fans can look forward to more thrilling games as the season progresses.
