Rookie Duncan McGuire scored the equalizer in the 66th minute to help Orlando City gain a 1-1 draw with Inter Miami on Sunday night, extending the club’s unbeaten streak to 10.
Inter Miami (9-15-5) played without Lionel Messi, who was held out because of muscle fatigue. Messi missed a Sept. 16 match against Atlanta United for the same reason. Attendance was 25,527 at Explora stadium.
Inter Miami Coach “Tata” Martino took the result with some satisfaction. “I think we could have lost the game at some point,” he said. “We made a joint effort.”
Neither team scored until David Ruíz found the net for a second time this season, scoring unassisted in the 52nd minute to give Inter Miami a 1-0 lead.
Orlando City (14-7-9) answered with the equalizer when McGuire scored his ninth goal of the season, unassisted in the 66th minute.
Pedro Gallese finished with four saves for Orlando City. Drake Callender stopped five shots for Inter Miami.
Orlando City has scored in 13 straight matches in all competitions, one off the club record set spanning the 2015-16 seasons. The club saw a four-match win streak at home end but it is still 6-0-4 in its last 10.
Support Local News. Every gift matters!
Inter Miami is 0-2-4 all-time in Orlando. Both losses were by one goal. Inter Miami has gone 9-1-5 in its last 15 matches in all competitions. The club had eight victories in its previous 28 matches.
Inter Miami returns to South Florida to host the Houston Dynamo on Wednesday, Sept. 27 in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final.