Inter Miami 3–3 Charlotte: Abada and Aloko erase three-goal lead

Inter Miami appeared to have MLS Decision Day under control after racing into a 3–0 lead against Charlotte at Nu Stadium. Ian Fray opened the scoring following a corner, Luis Suárez added the second from close range after another set piece, and Rodrigo De Paul struck from distance to make it three before half-time. The score suggested a comfortable home finish; Charlotte had other plans.

Miami build a three-goal half-time lead

The visitors had already suffered an early frustration when a Liel Abada goal was ruled out after a VAR review of a handball in the build-up. Miami then converted their chances efficiently and took a commanding advantage into the break. There was little in the first-half scoreline to suggest the game would end level, but the second period produced a dramatic reversal.

Goals and defining moments

Ian Fray, Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul scored in minutes 14, 33 and 42 for Miami. Abada replied in the 50th and 55th minutes before Aloko levelled in the 90th.

Charlotte thought they had scored early when Abada finished, but the effort was ruled out after a handball review. Later Henry Kessler cleared a chipped Lionel Messi attempt off the line. At the other end Tyger Smalls struck the frame of the goal and Aloko pounced on the rebound in the 90th minute to secure a remarkable recovery.

Abada leads the fightback; Aloko completes it

Charlotte changed the momentum immediately after half-time. Abada pulled one back after a delivery from substitute Tyger Smalls, then struck again following a combination with Pep Biel. Suddenly, Miami's three-goal lead had been reduced to a single goal, and the visitors had most of the second half to chase an equaliser.

The decisive moment came in the closing minutes. Smalls hit the post with an attempt, and Rodolfo Aloko reacted to the rebound to turn the ball home. Charlotte had scored three unanswered goals after the interval and completed a comeback that looked improbable when De Paul celebrated Miami's third. Neither side found a winner in the final moments.

What the match statistics show

Miami had 60% possession and 15 shots to Charlotte's 11, with five shots on target for each side. External figures put expected goals at 2.14 to 1.70; those estimates are from 101 Great Goals rather than BetLogic's internal Stats tab.

A remarkable Decision Day finish

A 3–3 draw gave both teams a point, but the emotions attached to it could hardly have been more different. Miami let a commanding half-time lead slip, while Charlotte left with an extraordinary recovery and renewed confidence heading into the MLS Cup Playoffs. Abada's brace drove the comeback and Aloko delivered the final touch; Miami's early goals were not enough to decide the night.

The comeback was not a single late surge but a sustained second-half response. Smalls made an immediate impact after entering at the interval, helping create Abada's first goal and later striking the woodwork in the move that ended with Aloko's equaliser. Abada's second finish, assisted by Biel, had already reduced the margin to one. Miami, despite their brilliant first-half scoring spell, were unable to stop the shift in the game's direction. Charlotte's refusal to accept the apparent three-goal defeat defined Decision Day's most remarkable finish.