'Our goalkeeper saved us' – Gonzalez slams Miami defence after San Diego salvage 2-2 draw
Inter Miami coach Cristian Gonzalez did not hide his frustration after watching his side squander a winning position in a 2-2 draw with San Diego FC on Sunday. Only the heroics of goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair, he insisted, spared the Herons from defeat at Nu Stadium.
Anders Dreyer scored an 82nd-minute equaliser to salvage a point for San Diego, his second goal of the game, after Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez had struck in either half to put Miami 2-1 up. The result leaves last season's MLS Cup finalists third in the Eastern Conference, 11 points adrift of leaders Nashville SC.
'Defensive horrors' leave Miami exposed
Miami dominated the underlying numbers, finishing with 19 shots to San Diego's eight and winning the expected goals (xG) battle 1.8 to 1.6. St. Clair was called upon to make just one formal save, though he also raced off his line to smother the ball in front of Dreyer when the game was poised at 1-1. Yet Gonzalez's verdict on his team's defensive work was damning.
"We've been here for four days and haven't been able to train properly. Defensively, we really need to be much stronger," Gonzalez said. "We can't commit these defensive horrors; they come at a high cost. That final situation shouldn't have happened.
"It's surreal to be in a position to win the game, yet nearly lose it. We only avoided defeat because our goalkeeper saved us."
Messi's milestone march continues
Messi's goal was his 101st overall for the Herons and his 77th in MLS, with 61 assists taking him to 138 goal involvements in the competition. The Argentina great has 20 goals in MLS this campaign, making him just the second player in league history to reach 20+ goals in three straight seasons, after Los Angeles FC's Denis Bouanga (2023–2025).
Messi had brought up a century of goals for Miami in Wednesday's 2-0 victory over Cruz Azul in the Campeones Cup final, but Gonzalez felt the annual clash between the MLS and Liga MX champions exacted a physical and mental toll on his players.
"I think the Campeones Cup might have had an unconscious effect, especially in the first half, leading to a bit of complacency," Gonzalez added. "These are factors that are part of football. At a club where we are obliged to win every match we play, we have to rise to the occasion.
"We made significant adjustments at half-time to get the team flowing and ensure we stayed compact, keeping the lines tight so we wouldn't suffer the way we did in the first half.
"We have to keep going. On the positive side, we did some good things, but I need to fine-tune the defensive side, because that's what really worries me most."
What's next for the Herons
Miami are next in action against the Columbus Crew on Sunday, with Messi set to be available for that game ahead of his farewell Argentina appearance on October 5, at a friendly against Benin. Gonzalez will hope a week of proper training shores up the defensive flaws he identified before the Herons' play-off push takes another twist.