Inter Miami emerged victorious in their MLS clash against the Columbus Crew, securing a 1-0 win thanks to a stunning header from Benjamin Cremaschi. The match, held at the Huntington Bank Field, attracted a large crowd eager to see Lionel Messi and his former Barcelona teammates, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba, in action for Miami. However, it was Cremaschi who stole the show with his diving header from Marcelo Weigandt’s cross in the 30th minute.
Despite leading Miami in shots with four attempts, Messi struggled to find the back of the net and appeared frustrated throughout the game. Columbus, on the other hand, dominated possession but failed to convert their chances, bringing an end to their unbeaten start to the season. Daniel Gazdag, making his first league start for the Crew since joining from the Philadelphia Union, was particularly wasteful in front of goal.
Miami’s goalkeeper, Oscar Ustari, played a crucial role in preserving their clean sheet by making four saves. With this win, Miami extended their unbeaten run to eight MLS matches and now hold the record for the longest unbeaten run in regular-season games, matching the previous records set by FC Dallas and Columbus.
In another MLS fixture, the reigning MLS Cup champions, LA Galaxy, suffered a 1-0 defeat against Austin FC. Brandon Vazquez scored the winning goal in the 81st minute, redeeming himself after missing a penalty earlier in the game. The loss leaves the Galaxy at the bottom of the Western Conference standings.
Turning our attention to individual performances, Daniel Gazdag’s full debut for the Crew did not go as planned. Despite his impressive scoring record for Philadelphia this season, Gazdag failed to hit the target with any of his four attempts. In fact, Gazdag accounted for 1.19 of the Crew’s 3.14 expected goals. Miami, on the other hand, capitalized on their limited chances, with two shots on target out of their seven attempts.
This victory extends Miami’s unbeaten streak against the Crew to six regular-season meetings. The team now sits at the top of the Eastern Conference, while the struggling LA Galaxy find themselves at the bottom of the Western Conference standings.
Overall, it was a thrilling weekend of MLS action, with Inter Miami and Austin FC emerging as the victors in their respective matches. The league continues to provide exciting moments and surprises as teams battle for supremacy on the field.
