Messi’s goal helps Miami edge Union, regain MLS’ top spot
Taylor nets his first 2025 goal, Messi scores right after coming off the bench, Callender relieves injured keeper Ustari and the Herons escape with a 2-1 win against Philadedelphia.
Inter Miami reclaimed first place in the Eastern Conference and Supporters Shield races Saturday with a hard-fought 2-1 home win against the Philadelphia Union.
Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez celebrate Messi’s second-half goal Saturday against the Philadelphia Union. Photo: Getty Images.
The Union (4-2-0, 12 points) had leapfrogged the Herons with a win last week against St. Louis City while Inter Miami (4-0-1, 13 points) had a bye, but the Pink’s win moved them back in front.
The Herons took the lead when Robert Taylor, used sparingly by new coach Javier Mascherano this year, scored in the first half.
“(Messi) finished strong and made us all really happy.”
— Javier Mascherano
Lionel Messi, who missed Argentina’s World Cup qualifiers last week against Uruguay and Brazil because of a minor muscle injury, relieved Taylor in the 55th minute and scored in the 57th to double the lead.
“We wanted (Messi) to get some minutes, and the idea was maybe for him to get 30-35 and with the additional time he played more, but he felt good,” Mascherano said after the match. “We didn’t want to risk him from the start, playing him the whole match. But he finished strong and made us all really happy.”
Philadelphia, which had scored 12 goals in five league matches, turned up the defensive pressure down the stretch, forcing turnovers and creating scoring chances. Daniel Gazdag finally put the ball in the net for Philadelphia in the 80th minute, but the Miami defense withstood the Union’s barrage to keep the Herons undefeated through 14 total matches under Mascherano (11-0-3 overall, including going 4-0 so far in the Concacaf Champions Cup and 3-0-2 in preseason friendlies).
Drake Callender — Inter Miami’s starting goalkeeper each of the past three seasons — played for the first time in 2025, coming on to relieve injured starter Oscar Ustari in the 86th minute. Callender injured his hip adductor muscle while training with the U.S. Men’s National Team in January. Mascherano has avoided calling Ustari his number one keeper, but the 38-year-old Argentine seemed to have earned the position before getting hurt Saturday.
The Herons won the Eastern Conference regular season championship, and earned the 2024 Supporters Shield trophy with a single-season record 74 points last year but is ahead of that pace in 2025. Inter Miami’s win Saturday gave them 13 points in five regular season matches. It’s unlikely the team will continue earning 2.6 points per match over the 34-game schedule, an 88-point pace, but it is conceivable that Inter Miami breaks its own point record.
Inter Miami will play LAFC at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday in Los Angeles in the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals, with the second leg a week later in Chase Stadium. In between CCC matches, the Herons will host Toronto (0-4-2, 2 points) in an MLS regular-season tilt at 6 p.m. Sunday.