Gonzalez-Pirez lifts Inter Miami past Orlando City to boost offseason hopes

Leandro Gonzalez Pirez headed home an 89th-minute corner kick to boost Inter Miami CF's postseason chances with a crucial 2-1 victory over Orlando City SC on Saturday afternoon at Inter Miami Stadium.

Pirez's goal came after Miami (6-11-3, 21 points) also scored from an own-goal in the final moments of the first half, as it turned around an early deficit to secure its third win in five matches.

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The win at least temporarily lifted the expansion side into the 10th and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with three matches remaining, prior to other games scheduled for later in the weekend.

Daryl Dike scored his fifth goal of a strong rookie campaign early on for Orlando (8-3-8, 32 points), which saw its 12-match unbeaten run halted and missed a potential chance to improve upon its current fourth-place standing in the East.

The teams completed their four-match season series with two wins each in the first game played before a limited capacity crowd in Miami this season.

After an even first half, both sides had one previous clear opportunity to take a second-half lead before Miami's late winner.

Miami's arrived in the 53rd minute, when Julian Carranza headed Lewis Morgan's excellent cross off the crossbar, before goalkeeper Pedro Gallese eventually corralled the rebound.

Orlando's came in the 88th minute, when in the second phase following a corner kick, John McCarthy made a kick save to turn away Benji Michel's open look.

Only a minute later, Miami had their winner, when Gonzalez-Pirez beat his marker to the near post and sent a glancing header of Morgan's winner past Gallese from close range.

Orlando went in front in the 12th minute when Antonio Carlos launched a long, diagonal ball toward Dike, who was marked by center back Nicolas Figal. Figal had an inside track, but Dike simply outmuscled him to win the ball, then sent a breakaway finish past McCarthy.

Miami grew into the game from there and was finally rewarded in the 45th minute when Blaise Matuidi drove a low cross from the left side of the penalty area toward the back post, which struck defender Robin Jansson and looped across the goal line.