Inter Miami staged a thrilling comeback against Nashville SC in their CONCACAF Champions Cup round-of-16 clash, with Luis Suarez scoring a crucial stoppage-time equalizer after Lionel Messi had narrowed the deficit earlier.
Canadian winger Jacob Shaffelburg had put Nashville 2-0 ahead with two impressive goals before Miami's comeback.
Suarez and Messi, both former Barcelona forwards, had each scored a brace in Miami's 5-0 victory over Orlando just days earlier, making Miami the favorites heading into the return leg in South Florida next Wednesday, with a spot in the quarterfinals at stake.
Miami, which had defeated Nashville on penalties in last season's Leagues Cup final, fielded debutants Messi, Sergio Busquets and Suarez in their first regional competition appearance. Coach Gerardo "Tata" Martino also handed a debut to new Argentine signing Federico Redondo in midfield, although Spaniard Jordi Alba was absent due to illness.
But Miami were soon reeling after Nashville's Shaq Moore broke through from midfield and fed Shaffelburg, who blasted past Drake Callender with a left-foot drive from the edge of the box.
The Canadian, with the distinctive mullet haircut, doubled the lead two minutes after the interval with an even better finish, cutting in from the left before unleashing an unstoppable shot with his right foot high into the far top corner.
Miami responded strongly, though, and six minutes later, Messi had pulled a goal back with a trademark left-footed curler.
Suarez set him up on the edge of the box, and despite having four defenders in close proximity, the Argentine World Cup winner found space to work the ball onto his left foot and then find the corner.
Miami had an effort from Diego Gomez disallowed for offside, but Nashville weren't ready to set their backs against the wall just yet.
Moore cut in from the right and beat Callender to send the 26,000 crowd wild, but a VAR review found that Moore had been narrowly offside from earlier in the move, and the goal was disallowed.
Then, deep in stoppage time, the ball was fed out to Busquets on the right, and the Spanish veteran floated in a cross that was headed home by Suarez.
In another match, Monterrey's USA striker Brandon Vazquez scored on his return to his former club Cincinnati as the Mexican club enjoyed a 1-0 win in their CONCACAF Champions Cup round-of-16 first-leg tie on Thursday.
Cincinnati, who won the Supporters' Shield for the best regular-season record in Major League Soccer last season, had started brightly and had the ball in the net in the 18th minute, but Corey Baird's effort was ruled out for offside.
Six minutes later, though, the Liga MX team were ahead, and it was former home favorite Vazquez who produced the breakthrough.
Maximiliano Mesa found the forward in the box, and his right-footed effort crept under the body of Cincinnati keeper Roman Celentano, who should have done much better.
It was Vazquez's seventh goal in 11 appearances since joining the five-time CONCACAF champions and will strengthen his case for inclusion in Gregg Berhalter's USA squad for the upcoming Nations League Final Four.
Monterrey were reduced to ten men in the 70th minute when a VAR review ruled that Rodrigo Aguirre had struck Baird off the ball before a corner.
With their numerical advantage for the final 20 minutes, Cincinnati piled on the pressure, but Monterrey keeper Esteban Andrada kept out a Sergio Santos effort after good work from Luciano Acosta.
