Taxi Fountas scored his sixth goal of the season and also contributed a crucial assist as D.C. United twice rallied from a deficit to earn a 2-2 draw against visiting Inter Miami on Saturday night.
Nigel Robertha also scored only moments after entering the game for D.C. (8-9-6, 30 points), which earned a point despite conceding multiple goals for the fourth time in their last six games.
Robertha’s late goal prevented Tata Martino from picking up a win in his managerial debut for Miami, which is winless in its last 10 but has drawn three in a row since Marino’s hiring was announced.
Fountas has now scored in back-to-back games, each time helping D.C. overcome a key absence. This time it was team assists leader Mateusz Klich, who was out while serving a yellow card accumulation suspension.
Benjamin Cremaschi and Noah Allen each scored their first career professional goals for visiting Miami (5-13-3, 18 points), which is expected to add World Cup-winning star Lionel Messi to its squad later this month.
Drake Callender made seven saves for the visitors despite letting in two goals. D.C. led 16-11 in total shots and 9-6 in efforts on target in a game where all the goals came after halftime.
After Cremaschi opened the scoring off a feed from Robert Taylor, Fountas answered by finishing off an excellent team goal.
Donovan Pines played a long ball down the left to find Yamil Asad, and Asad played a clever backheel pass to Cristian Dajome following the play.
Dajome slotted a pass to his right, and Fountas curled a right-footed shot around the dive of Callender and inside the far-right post.
Allen put Miami in front again only three minutes later when his free kick from the right fizzed through traffic and found the far-left corner.
D.C. went level for the second time in the 77th minute. This time Fountas played catalyst with a ball down the right to Ruan, who immediately drove in a cross from the corner.
Robertha met it at the back post with a one-time finish into an open goal, with Callender stranded at the other post.
–Field Level Media