Nashville SC held on to beat Inter Miami, 2-1, in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series Saturday night, and pushed Lionel Messi to a familiar brink.

For a second consecutive year, Messi and Miami entered these playoffs as the betting favorites to lift MLS Cup; and for a second consecutive year, they will face an elimination game in Round 1.

They cruised past Nashville in last week’s playoff opener, but on Saturday, in relentless rain, they sputtered. They spent most of the game behind. Messi scored in the 90th minute to give Miami life, but they couldn’t find a second.

Nine minutes into the first half, they were already trailing. Sam Surridge, runner up to Messi for the league’s golden boot, won and converted a penalty. Most of Geodis Park roared as yellow smoke billowed onto the field.

Can’t start any better, @NashvilleSC!

Sam Surridge buries the penalty to open the scoring in Game Two.

📺 Apple TV: https://t.co/FYH8mmrG9k // Audi MLS Cup Playoffs pic.twitter.com/JMN22QELMm

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) November 1, 2025

Later, with halftime approaching, Miami conceded a soft second. Josh Bauer, a journeyman defender, beat Rodrigo De Paul and Ian Fray to a well-placed corner, and scrambled a close-range shot into the net.

ADVANTAGE DOUBLED. ⚡️

Josh Bauer slides it home for @NashvilleSC just before the break! // Audi MLS Cup Playoffs pic.twitter.com/SvRKtXRQ8R

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) November 2, 2025

Miami, on multiple occasions throughout a relatively even game, felt wronged by the referee.

On Nashville’s opener, Surridge appeared to be offside on a ball over the top that led to the penalty. But there was no offside flag on the field, and a lack of technology hindered video assistant referees (VARs). MLS does not use the precise tech that the English Premier League and other European leagues use. It requires a VAR to be certain, based on available camera angles, that the call on the field was clearly and obviously incorrect. And in this case, there were no angles level with Surridge and the last defender, Maxi Falcon, who was a bit late to step.

A half hour later, Miami could have had a penalty of its own. Messi released Jordi Alba down the left with a sorcerous through-ball. Alba sent a low cross skimming through the six-yard box, right into the path of winger Tadeo Allende. Allende seemed likely to tap it into the net, but as he was sprinting into the box, Bauer, the Nashville defender trailing him, briefly tugged Allende’s arm. Then, right as Allende prepared to make contact, Bauer grabbed Allende’s shirt. Neither tug was blatant, but both seemed to impede Allende. Referee Allen Chapman, however, saw no foul.

Inter Miami had other chances as well. But Nashville had more. The hosts, after ceding control of Game 1, pressed Miami and made the match scrappy. They silenced Messi by denying service into his feet. They easily could have had a third goal before Miami got one.

At the other end of the pitch, in the 66th minute, Nashville goalkeeper Joe Willis spread his limbs to deny Luis Suárez from close range.

Soon thereafter, Surridge thought he’d won another penalty when he was brought down in the box by Miami’s Telasco Segovia, but both Chapman and the VAR waved away appeals. They also declined to card Suárez for an apparent kick-out at Nashville’s Andy Najar.

Miami grew increasingly frustrated. It wasn’t until Messi’s late goal — a stinging left-footed strike — that Inter came to life.

NOT. OVER. YET.

Messi strikes to pull one back! // Audi MLS Cup Playoffs pic.twitter.com/o6vAOEvBAj

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) November 2, 2025

But they were too late, and lost — and suddenly, this best-of-three series looks a lot like Miami’s best-of-three series with Atlanta United at this very same stage a year ago.

In 2024, Inter outclassed Atlanta in Game 1, and seemed like it might cruise into the conference semifinals. But Atlanta took Game 2 at home, forcing Messi and friends into a must-win Game 3 — which they lost, in a massive upset.

Game 3 of this year’s series will take place next Saturday, Nov. 8, back at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Nashville vs. Miami was one of five Game 2s on Saturday in the MLS playoffs. In the first, Charlotte survived a penalty shootout, after a 0-0 draw with NCYFC in regulation, to force a Game 3.

Fire put out

In the second, the Philadelphia Union laughed off the Chicago Fire, winning 3-0 thanks to two hapless Chicago mistakes. The top-seeded Union became the first team to advance to the conference semifinals — and the first team now facing a 21-day wait until their next playoff game, after the upcoming international break.

Dean Smith’s Charlotte took their series with New York City FC to Game 3 after winning on penalties at Yankee Stadium after the game ended goalless. NYCFC had won the opening game of the series in North Carolina.

Out west, San Diego FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps can join Philadelphia in the second round soon. They face the Portland Timbers and FC Dallas, respectively, in Saturday’s nightcaps.