MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Palmeiras came from behind to play Inter Miami to a 2-2 draw in front of an electric crowd at Hard Rock Stadium, and both clubs advanced to the Club World Cup round of 16 on Monday night.
Mauricio sealed the comeback for the historic Brazilian club with the equalizer in the 87th minute after Palmeiras trailed most of the match.
A tie was enough to send both teams to the knockout round after they entered Monday’s match tied atop the Group A standings with four points apiece.
For a while, it looked like Inter Miami would advance as winners of the group after taking a 2-0 lead deep into regulation on goals by Tadeo Allende in the 16th and veteran Luis Suarez in the 65th.
Palmeiras clawed back after a couple of second-half substitutions. Paulinho got his team on the board in the 80th, and the equalizer from Mauricio came a few minutes later.
Messi, who turns 39 on Tuesday, had numerous chances but did not score Monday despite the crowd chanting his name throughout the match.
Key moment
Messi was seen shaking his head just after Mauricio broke through Miami’s defense and hammered the tying goal past goalkeeper Oscar Ustari, as Miami’s lead had slipped away in a matter of minutes.
Takeaways
Palmeiras finished as winners of Group A on goal differential and will face fellow Brazilian squad Botafogo in the round of 16, while Inter Miami will face Group B winner and Messi’s former club Paris Saint-Germain. The Herons were the only MLS club to advance to the round of 16 after Los Angeles FC and Seattle were eliminated.
What they said
“It’s very important that the team was able to compete at this level at the Club World Cup. I think we’ve left our mark as a competitive team. I think this is good for us to see where the limit really is for the MLS. This is the message that we’re giving. Beyond that, we’ve got to prepare for what’s coming. We know it will be a challenge, just as this round was.” — Suarez through an interpreter
“We could at the last moment have won the match, but quite honestly it wouldn’t have been fair given how Inter Miami played in the first half. Tying was the best result. … Whether it’s by tying or by winning, this is what we came for.” — Palmeiras head coach Abel Moreira through an interpreter
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