Casemiro's Forgettable Night at Inter Miami: Two Mistakes and an Own Goal in Lionel Messi's Return to MLS

Casemiro had a tough night at Inter Miami during the 2-2 draw against Columbus Crew, featuring an unexpected sequence that ended in an own goal. The Brazilian midfielder made two consecutive mistakes in the same play, leaving an unusual image for a player of his caliber.

The incident occurred at the 33rd minute of the first half, when the former Real Madrid player found himself as the last man in the build-up for the team managed by Javier Mascherano. Intending to advance from the back, he attempted to filter a pass to the midfield but lost his balance, fell to the ground, and left the ball in the opponent's possession.

The loss was quickly capitalized on by Hugo Picard, who regained possession and led the Columbus Crew attack. The midfielder passed forward to Daniel Gazdag, who opened the play to Taha Habroune before the ball reached the box.

The attempt to correct the mistake ended in an own goal.

As the play progressed, Casemiro tried to rectify his error and sprinted back to avert danger. The Brazilian managed to anticipate the low cross sent towards Jamiro Monteiro Thiaré, but his intervention had the least expected outcome.

Instead of clearing the ball away from the goal defended by Rocco Ríos Novo, the midfielder deflected the ball into his own net, surprising the Inter Miami goalkeeper, who could not prevent the equalizer from Columbus.

Thus, the visiting team leveled the score at 1-1 through a play in which Casemiro was involved in both decisive moments. The player, known for his time in European football and international experience, became an involuntary protagonist of one of the most striking moments of the match.

The game had started favorably for Inter Miami, which took the lead with a goal from Luis Suárez in the 16th minute. Before halftime, Noah Allen restored the lead for the home team, while Brais Méndez appeared in the 84th minute to establish the final 2-2.

Beyond the draw, one of the main attractions of the match was the return of Lionel Messi to Inter Miami. The Argentine played an official match again 13 days after competing in the World Cup final with the Argentine national team against Spain.

The captain started the match on the bench but received an ovation when he came out to warm up during halftime. He finally entered the game seven minutes into the second half, replacing Pinter.

Messi showed activity from his first touches, although he failed to score. He had several opportunities to find the net, including a left-footed shot that went just wide, a finish after controlling a pass from Suárez, and two chances in stoppage time that were saved by goalkeeper Patrick Schulte.

The Rosario native had returned to training on Wednesday after a week of rest in Funes, near Rosario. During his absence, Inter Miami won both of their MLS matches following the resumption of the competition.

Additionally, Rodrigo De Paul started and shared the midfield with Casemiro. The Argentine, one of the key players on the team, has accumulated four goals and four assists in 14 matches this season.

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