Despite some great chances late for both sides, neither Inter Miami nor the host Chicago Fire could find the back of the net as the teams dueled to a 0-0 draw on Sunday.
Inter Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari (seven saves) and Chicago’s Chris Brady (three saves) each emerged with their first clean sheets of the season in MLS competition.
Inter Miami (4-0-3, 15 points) was blanked for the first time this season in an MLS match and for the second time in its past three matches across all competitions despite playing with the majority of its regular starters, including superstar Lionel Messi, who played all 90 minutes.
It was Chicago’s first shutout of the season. The Fire (3-2-3, 12 points) have drawn twice and lost one over their past three matches since beating Vancouver on March 22.
For Inter Miami, it was its second consecutive draw in league play following its dramatic comeback win over LAFC in the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinals on Wednesday.
Messi may not have scored, but he thrilled the capacity crowd at Soldier Field with two near misses late in the game. Messi hit the crossbar on a high-arching shot which Brady just got a hand on in the 64th minute.
After a mostly slow first half, the action picked up in the closing minutes after Messi again hit the crossbar on a corner kick in the 85th minute.
Inter Miami appeared to finally score a minute later when Messi delivered a perfect long ball into the box to Luis Suarez, who then tapped it past Brady with his left foot. But Suarez was ruled offside just before the attempt.
The Fire nearly delivered a winning counterpunch two minutes later when Jonathan Bamba took a cross and fired a close-range shot that Ustari blocked. Maren Haile-Selassie nearly tapped home the rebound but missed wide.
Bamba had an even better chance soon after, but was stopped cold on a direct shot from the top of the box when Ustari made a diving save.
–Field Level Media
