MESSI’S 92ND MINUTE LEVELLER GRABS A POINT FOR MIAMI AT GALAXY

Jordi Alba then combined with Messi down the left, the Spaniard delivering a killer pull-back into the path of Messi, who, at full stretch, found the target with the outside of his left foot.

It was a rare moment of impact from Messi, who had been mostly ineffective in the game where Miami, with seven starters over the age of 30, struggled with the Galaxy’s tempo.

Miami had all four of their former Barcelona stars in their starting lineup, with Alba, Sergio Busquets and Luis Suarez alongside Messi.

Meanwhile, it was the Galaxy’s former Barcelona player, 24-year-old Spaniard Riqui Puig, who was the dominant player on the field, especially in the first half when the California side had a series of chances.

Confident on the ball and incisive in his passing, Puig was dictating play but he should have given the home side the lead in the 13th minute from the penalty spot.

The lively Joseph Paintsil, a recent signing from Genk in Belgium, had been pulled down in the box by Busquets but Puig’s low free-kick was well-saved by Drake Callender.

The Miami keeper then produced fine saves to keep out efforts from Paintsil and Puig and apart from a deflected Messi effort, which was parried by Galaxy keeper John McCarthy, Miami created little.