Inter Miami draws 3-3 against San Jose Earthquakes as Lionel Messi’s frustrations flare

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Inter Miami drew 3-3 with the San Jose Earthquakes on Wednesday night, a match that saw Lionel Messi’s frustrations reach a near-boiling point.

Messi has looked irritated during Miami’s recent stretch of poor form. They entered the mid-week match having lost four of their last five games across all competitions.

The 3-3 scoreline, in which Miami committed a myriad of glaring defensive mistakes, further aggravated the Argentina World Cup winner. After the final whistle, Messi angrily approached referee Joe Dickerson, who warned Messi with a yellow card. Messi continued his dissent numerous times, ultimately gesturing to Dickerson to show him a second yellow. Dickerson shouted, “Do you want me to send you off? Walk away!”

San Jose coach Bruce Arena subtly intervened and lightly guided Messi away from the officials. It was not clear exactly what Messi was arguing about. There were no controversial refereeing decisions in the match. The Miami head coach was asked about that situation afterwards and responded bluntly. “I have no idea what was said.”

Arena was more open when asked if Messi was unhappy with the officiating.

“Yes, yes, he was,” said Arena. “As you know, there’s a universal language when you’re talking about referees. He was obviously not happy. And I really wanted to make sure he wasn’t going to get a red card, and that’s why I just tried to move him out of the way. Because for him to get a red card at the end of the game would have been ridiculous. So I just wanted to make sure we get him out of there and he’s ready to play the next game for Miami.”

Allende gets his brace and @InterMiamiCF are level again! 👌

What is happening at PayPal Park tonight??? 🤯 pic.twitter.com/X4QLmZkMEU

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 15, 2025

The draw in San Jose, which welcomed a party atmosphere due to the mere presence of Messi, comes at a time when the potential of this Miami team is questionable. Miami is in a serious funk under new manager Javier Mascherano. He didn’t inherit a team known for its defense, but Miami has seemingly gotten worse on the defensive side of the field. The three goals that Miami conceded in the first half against San Jose were a comedy of errors and poor effort.

“We are making a lot of mistakes that sometimes finish with goals,” Mascherano told reporters. “We have to focus on the positive things. The team was fighting and trying to win the game. This is the way in terms of spirit. Then we have to improve a lot. We cannot concede the goals that we conceded today. It’s impossible if we want to fight for important things. We have to take a step forward.”

Miami 38-year-old goalkeeper Oscar Ustari was especially poor on the night. A former international youth teammate of Messi’s, Ustari has looked his age since signing in September of 2024. He was brought in to compete with U.S. international Drake Callender and provide additional experience in goal. Ustari was trusted by former Miami coach Tata Martino, and when Mascherano arrived, Ustari became the starter.

But his decreased reflexes and slow reaction time have become a liability. His errant pass in the third minute from inside his own penalty area went straight to San Jose winger Cristian Espinoza. Quakes striker Chicho Arango took a quick pass from Espinoza and then finished from close range. The goal canceled out Miami’s opening goal after just 35 seconds of play. That two-minute sequence summed up the deficiencies and overall chaotic play.

Miami has conceded 18 goals so far this season. That’s only one more goal than what they conceded after the same number of games in 2024. But in this case, the eye test is the better metric. Miami is grossly unorganized defensively.

For a team that set the points record last season and that played with markedly more intensity, the drop off in 2025 has been drastic. Messi has had a much quieter start after his MVP season in 2024. Sergio Busquets, once a nearly flawless central midfielder, has lost a lot of world-class sharpness on the ball. Jordi Alba has been among the lone bright spots. The former Spain international fullback remains highly effective on the left side.

The concern for Miami isn’t that their oldest players aren’t performing as well as last season. It’s for the defending Supporters’ Shield winners that there hasn’t been an evolution to their play since Mascherano took over.

There isn’t a defined identity to point to. Under Martino, there was a heavy reliance on Messi. The rest of the group, however, understood Martino’s midfield pressing tactics well. They weren’t unbeatable, and they could be exposed in transition, but opponents knew that Miami could outscore them on any given night.

Luis Suarez, 38, has missed two consecutive games due to personal reasons. The Uruguayan No. 9 scored 20 goals and added 9 assists in 2024 and was a focal point in their attack. His absence and noticeable physical decline have been a setback for Miami. Still, Miami has scored 24 goals, but again, the eye test. Miami is laboring far more to create chances, and Messi looks increasingly frustrated with his team’s sloppy play.

“It’s a fair result,” said Arena. “I think both teams would be disappointed in the quality of their play tonight. For the most part, we did a good job on Messi. He was threatening throughout the game. He’s a terrific player. We’ll take the point and move on.”

The MLS schedule is a forgiving one. The Club World Cup won’t begin until June. Miami will play in the inaugural game at Hard Rock Stadium with the world watching, or perhaps hate watching, considering the public’s negative opinion of the 32-team tournament. A month away from the opener against Egyptian side Al Ahly FC, Miami looks like a team that could be embarrassed. In a group that includes Palmeiras and Porto, it could be a quick exit for Messi.

“I’m very concerned that we conceded so soon after scoring,” said Mascherano. “We have to show our experience and know how to deal with the numerous situations the game provides. We have to show more maturity and know how to suffer. Evidently we have a lot to work on.”

(Photo: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)

This news was originally published on this post .

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