Neil Pierre's Diving Header Earns Union a 2-2 Draw With Lionel Messi's Inter Miami in Heated Finish

Neil Pierre threw himself at Milan Iloski's free kick in the 58th minute and Subaru Park lost its mind. The 18-year-old defender's diving header from point-blank range tied the game, and three minutes later the Union thought they had completed the comeback, until VAR ruled out Iloski's goal for an offside in the buildup.

Inter Miami CF and the Philadelphia Union drew 2-2 on Wednesday night in a match that had everything. Indiana Vassilev put the Union ahead, Dániel Pintér and Lionel Messi struck five minutes apart to flip it, Pierre leveled it, and deep in stoppage time Cavan Sullivan and Yannick Bright were both sent off for violent conduct. Neither side found a winner, and nobody left bored.

Messi Takes Over the First Half

The Union, wearing their new cream Philly Kit for the first time, started fast. In the 11th minute Frankie Westfield crossed into the middle, and Vassilev finished first time from the center of the box. Sullivan had a close-range effort blocked in the 14th, Vassilev pulled one wide in the 15th, and Dayne St. Clair had to save from Bruno Damiani in the 20th.

Then Miami turned the night around in a five-minute burst. In the 21st, a Messi delivery was headed by Luis Suárez into Pintér's path, per the AP, and Pintér fired it high into the net from close range. ESPN credits Suárez with the assist. The Union said it was the 19-year-old's first Inter Miami goal.

In the 26th came the moment everyone paid for. Fed by Ian Fray, Messi found a sliver of space in the middle of the box and slotted a left-footed shot into the bottom left corner. "I don't know how he gets that out of his feet to find the finish, but that is why he is the greatest player ever," Union interim head coach Ryan Richter said, per mlssoccer.com. "He doesn't need space to find a goal."

Philadelphia kept pushing. Sullivan had a shot blocked and another saved by St. Clair, Westfield's header from a Kai Wagner corner was blocked by Sergio Reguilón, per the Union, and Iloski fired one just wide in first-half stoppage time. Wagner was booked in the 43rd minute, and Miami went into the break up 2-1.

Pierre Flies, VAR Bites

The second half got physical fast. Reguilón and Fray were both booked within five minutes, and Wagner sent a direct free kick just wide to the right in the 51st. In the 58th, Iloski whipped in a set piece and Pierre dove to head it into the bottom left corner.

The Union thought they had the lead in the 61st, when Iloski put the ball in the net. VAR took a look, Pierre was caught offside in the buildup, and the goal came off. St. Clair then saved a Pierre header in the 66th and an Iloski shot in the 71st, while Andre Blake stopped Pintér after a Messi through ball in the 69th. Sullivan dragged a one-timer wide on a counter in the 78th.

The fourth official announced nine minutes of stoppage time, and there were more delays to come, including an injury that forced Pintér off in the 99th minute. Then, 13 minutes into stoppage time, things boiled over. Quinn Sullivan was booked, and Cavan Sullivan and Bright both saw red. Two days later, MLS announced that the Independent Review Panel had unanimously rescinded Cavan Sullivan's suspension and fine.

The Kids and the GOAT

Neil Pierre put both of his shots on target and scored the equalizer. According to the AP, it was the Homegrown defender's third goal in five games this season.

Lionel Messi scored with one of his three shots and also teed up Pintér's 69th-minute chance. Per the AP, he has 13 goals and nine assists in 17 MLS games this season, and six goals and four assists in six matches across all competitions against the Union.

Cavan Sullivan, the Union's 16-year-old midfielder, took four shots and kept making things happen. Per mlssoccer.com, he picked up a secondary assist on Vassilev's goal and now has seven assists in 11 starts.

Milan Iloski assisted Pierre, had a goal taken away and finished with three shots.

Dayne St. Clair made four saves for Miami in his first start since May 24, per the Union.

The Turning Point

The VAR review in the 61st minute. Pierre's equalizer had swung all the momentum to Philadelphia, and Iloski's finish would have capped a full comeback against the league's most famous team. Instead the offside call kept it level, and the Union spent the rest of the night creating chances without a third goal to show for it.

Stats That Matter

• Shots: Philadelphia 17 (6 on target), Inter Miami 5 (3 on target).
• Possession: Inter Miami 57.1 percent, Philadelphia 42.9 percent.
• Saves: St. Clair 4, Blake 1.
• Interceptions: Philadelphia 22, Inter Miami 5.
• Discipline: Six yellow cards and two red cards.

Where Things Stand

Inter Miami moved to 11-6-3 with 39 points. Per the AP, Miami entered the night second in the Eastern Conference after a 4-1 loss to first-place Nashville on Saturday and had lost three straight in all competitions. Rodrigo De Paul missed the match through yellow-card accumulation. "I would have liked the three points, of course, but it was an evenly matched game where we had to work hard for the draw," Miami coach Guillermo Hoyos said. Miami hosts Toronto FC on Saturday.

Philadelphia is 5-5-10 with 20 points, which the AP said left the Union 14th in the East. The draw ended a four-match winning streak against Red Bull New York, Seattle, Atlanta and New York City FC, but the AP noted the Union are unbeaten in five (4-0-1) since Richter took over on an interim basis. Miami won the first meeting 6-4 on May 24. The Union visit Austin FC on Saturday, with Sullivan cleared to play.

The Summer Blockbuster

This one had the full Hollywood package: a global megastar, a teenage sensation, a plot twist via VAR and a post-credits scene nobody saw coming. "We showed ourselves and the rest of the league that we can hang with any team," Richter said. For one night in Chester, they did.

Stats from ESPN's match data. Postgame quotes as reported by the AP and mlssoccer.com. Match notes from the Philadelphia Union (philadelphiaunion.com).