Columbus Crew left it until the final seconds to secure a pulsating 2-1 Major League Soccer victory over Inter Miami CF on Sunday, with substitute Jamal Thiaré firing home a 90+8th-minute volley at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field.

The Eastern Conference fixture appeared to be drifting toward a hard-fought draw after Lionel Messi’s superb free-kick had cancelled out Josef Martínez’s first-half penalty. But with Miami reduced to 10 men late on, Columbus found one final decisive moment and Thiaré delivered it.

In front of 21,188 supporters in Columbus, the hosts created the more sustained attacking pressure despite seeing less of the ball. Crew finished with 14 shots to Miami’s five, put six efforts on target, and earned nine corners as they repeatedly tested the visiting back line.

Martínez puts Crew ahead before Messi responds

The match’s decisive first-half sequence began in the 28th minute. Josef Martínez stepped up from the penalty spot and converted to give Columbus a 1-0 lead, rewarding the home side’s aggressive start.

Inter Miami responded five minutes later through their biggest name. Lionel Messi curled in a free-kick in the 33rd minute to restore parity, a moment of quality that shifted momentum and sent the teams into half-time level at 1-1.

That equaliser ensured a tense second half, with both sides battling for control in a physical contest. Columbus committed 18 fouls and Miami 17, while a series of late cautions reflected the mounting pressure around the closing stages.

Late dismissal changes the finish

Miami’s task became more difficult when substitute Santiago Morales was shown a red card in the 90+6th minute. The visitors were then unable to see out the point they had worked to protect.

Columbus made the numerical advantage count two minutes later. Jamal Thiaré met the ball cleanly on the volley in the 90+8th minute, smashing home the winner to spark celebrations around the pitch. The strike settled an intense fixture that ultimately turned on the Crew’s late persistence.

Messi’s 33rd-minute free-kick was Miami’s lone shot on target from three attempts on frame, while Columbus’s greater volume and set-piece pressure finally produced the breakthrough that mattered most.

What’s next

Columbus Crew will look to carry the momentum into their next MLS fixture against Orlando City SC on Saturday, October 10. Inter Miami CF will seek an immediate response on the same day when they face D.C. United.

Goals: Columbus Crew — Josef Martínez 28′ (penalty), Jamal Thiaré 90+8′; Inter Miami CF — Lionel Messi 33′.