Lionel Messi played the full 90 minutes but could not prevent Inter Miami from being held to a 0-0 draw by Chicago Fire in front of a record crowd at Soldier Field on Sunday night, April 13th. The result marked the first time Inter Miami have failed to score in an MLS match this season.
A crowd of 62,358, the largest in Chicago Fire history, turned out largely to see the Argentine superstar, who was making his first appearance in Chicago since joining MLS.3 Messi came closest to breaking the deadlock for the visitors, hitting the woodwork twice in the second half. His first effort, a free-kick in the 64th minute, was tipped onto the crossbar by Fire goalkeeper Chris Brady. He struck the frame again with another shot in the 85th minute.
Inter Miami thought they had found a winner a minute later when Luis Suarez tapped in from a long Messi pass, but the goal was correctly disallowed for offside.
Chicago Fire, who earned their first clean sheet of the season, had excellent chances to snatch victory late in the game. Jonathan Bamba saw a close-range shot blocked by Inter Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari, with Maren Haile-Selassie putting the rebound wide. Ustari then made a fine diving save to deny Bamba again shortly after. Both Ustari (seven saves) and Brady (three saves) recorded their first MLS clean sheets of the campaign.
The draw leaves Inter Miami unbeaten in MLS (4-0-3, 15 points) but sees them drop to fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings.9 Chicago Fire (3-2-3, 12 points) are now winless in their last three matches. Inter Miami’s focus now shifts to the second leg of their CONCACAF Champions Cup quarter-final against LAFC on Wednesday.
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