San Jose – Wednesday’s match between Inter Miami CF and the San Jose Earthquakes was expected to be a Lionel Messi showcase at PayPal Park. The 37-year-old Argentinian superstar was making a rare, one-night-only appearance in San Jose, an event some described as the hottest ticket in the Bay Area. However, it was the Earthquakes who stole the spotlight in a thrilling 3-3 draw.
“For the most part, we did a good job on Messi,” Earthquakes head coach Bruce Arena said. “He was threatening throughout the game. He’s a terrific player. Our guys did a good job.”
Messi mania was in full effect from even hours before the gates opened.
Fans lined up from the entry gates at PayPal Park all the way behind the stadium and into the parking lots for a chance to witness the player widely considered this generation’s GOAT (Greatest of All Time). Excitement surged when Messi’s name appeared on the starting lineup about an hour before kickoff. As he stepped onto the pitch for warmups, nearly everyone in the stadium reached for their phones and cameras to capture a glimpse of the living legend. Even the players couldn’t help but be starstruck with Messi sharing the field alongside them.
“Messi just has an aura,” said Earthquakes captain Cristian Espinoza. Espinoza played against Messi one other time back when Espinoza played with Spanish club Villareal back when Messi played for FC Barcelona. “We’re talking about the best player ever.”
Espinoza shared that he was able to trade jerseys with Messi after the game.
“It’s an honor to share the field with him,” midfielder Beau Leroux said. “It’s an honor to share the field with him and all the great players on our team and their team.”
From the pregame buildup, the “Messi effect” was in full swing by the opening kickoff. With all eyes on the superstar, Inter Miami struck first, just 45 seconds into the match. Maximiliano Falcón scored the opening goal off a corner kick, assisted by Jordi Alba, who delivered a perfect cross into the box. Falcón rose above the defense and headed the ball past an outstretched Daniel in goal, giving Miami an early lead.
While many in the stands expected Miami to dominate the night, San Jose quickly seized the spotlight.
Quakes forward Chicho Arango leveled the match almost immediately, capitalizing on a costly mistake by Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari. A poor pass intended for defender Noah Allen was intercepted by Cristian Espinoza, who quickly fed Arango for an easy finish at the far post. The goal came in the third minute, tying the match at 1-1.
“The opening couple of minutes were crazy,” Arena said. “To concede a goal that early was poor on our part, and I think the second and third goals (by Miami), we could have been better.”
San Jose took a 2-1 lead in the 37th minute with a rocket of a goal from rookie Beau Leroux, his second of the season. Miami quickly responded, as Tadeo Allende netted the equalizer in the 44th minute. But just four minutes into first-half stoppage time, Ian Harkes put the Earthquakes back in front, 3-2.
Messi nearly matched it on the final kick of the half after drawing a foul and earning a free kick, his specialty. But this time, his effort curled just inches wide of the post, sending San Jose into halftime with the lead.
“We came out to the field with that in mind, the mindset to deliver three points,” said Espinoza. “There were moments where we had control of the game, but obviously they have a really good player, so that’s why the game was really open for both teams. It was a really physical game.”
Inter Miami pulled even in the 52nd minute when MLS debutant Baltasar Rodriguez notched his first assist, setting up Tadeo Allende for his second goal of the night.
In keeping with the night’s back-and-forth theme, Cristian Espinoza nearly put San Jose ahead again just 10 minutes later with a strike off his left foot. However, the goal was disallowed for offside after a prior touch from Ousseni Bouda in the buildup.
Messi nearly produced late-match magic, receiving a pass near Daniel’s right post in the final minutes, but the Earthquakes goalkeeper made a crucial save to preserve the 3-3 draw.
“We tried everything,” Espinoza said. “We went for three points, but at least we got one point. We need to keep growing as a team.”
While the draw ends the Earthquakes’ three-game winning streak across all competitions, it extends their unbeaten run to four matches. The team now sits at 5-6-2 (17 points) just past the one-third mark of the season, though head coach Bruce Arena says the record doesn’t fully reflect the story of the Earthquakes so far.
“Our record is not indicative of the way we’ve played over our first 13 games,” he said. “We should have more points. We’re getting better as a team. I’m hopeful that as we get through the first half of the season, we have a really good feel for who we are and where we need to go in the second half of the season.”
San Jose’s marathon May continues Saturday at the New England Revolution (4:30 p.m., Apple TV/MLS Season Pass), marking Bruce Arena’s first return to New England since leaving the club late last year. The Earthquakes then face a quick turnaround as they host the Portland Timbers in the U.S. Open Cup Round of 16 on Tuesday night.
Photo by SJE/X
