Lionel Messi grabbed a goal, but it was a day for Inter Miami's defenders, as both of their center backs found the net in a back-and-forth 3-2 win over Eastern Conference leaders NYCFC. The Herons took the lead, but were never fully assured with it, and twice had to reclaim a slender advantage to return to South Florida with a hard-earned win - and move to third in the East.It all looked like a pretty standard Miami matchup from early on. The Herons had the majority of the ball, but looked paper-thin on the counter - especially in the absence of Rodrigo De Paul. Still, the Herons struck first. It came from an unlikely source. Gonzalo Lujan reacted first to a loose ball in the box and beat USMNT No. 1 Matt Freese after just four minutes of play.NYCFC soon responded, though. Miami's new signing Micael gave up a cheap free kick at the edge of the box. Nico Fernandez capitalized, whipping the ball down off the bar and past a stranded Dayne St. Clair in Miami's goal. There were further chances for the visitors. Messi was well denied by Freese before smashing a signature curled effort off the post soon after. The home side made it 2-1 early in the second half thanks to a fluid counter. Maxi Moralez dropped into space and fed Agustin Ojeda, who tucked home. Yet Miami found an equalizer of their own. Messi, of course, provided it, wrong-footing Freese from long range. Micael gave them a 3-2 lead 10 minutes later, rising to meet a Noah Allen cross with a fine header. It all got a bit tense thereafter. NYCFC probed for a third, and St. Clair was called upon to make a couple of tidy saves late on. Micael and Lujan, meanwhile, made clearance after clearance at the back. GOAL rates Inter Miami's players from Yankee Stadium...Dayne St. Clair (7/10):Could do absolutely nothing about either of the NYCFC goals. Made some important saves late on. Ian Fray (7/10):A solid shift at right back, and ensured that the home side had admittedly little on his side. Gonzalo Lujan (7/10):Broke out a lovely finish, especially for a center back. Sucked into the play on NYCFC's second, but made up for it with some important interventions late on. Micael (8/10):Gave up a bit of a silly free kick that set up NYCFC's equalizer. Redeemed himself with a terrific second half header, and then dug in to secure the win. Noah Allen (8/10):Broke out a lovely cross to give Miami a 3-2 lead. Removed after a classy hour of work. Yannick Bright (6/10):Covered loads of ground, shuffled it around, but was moved out of position, and couldn't track Moralez. David Ayala (6/10):A tidy performance with the ball, but clearly doesn't have the midfield connection with Bright to hold it down. Lionel Messi (8/10):Involved from early on. Had a couple of good shots denied, hit the woodwork. Grabbed a goal - even if it was off a bit of a blunder from the keeper. Mateo Silvetti (6/10):Linked up well with Messi, but could have been a little cleaner when he had some looks of his own. Tadeo Allende (7/10):Pulled the defense left and right with his movement. Didn't have loads of chances, but made sure NYCFC were never comfortable. Telasco Segovia (7/10):A disciplined performance from the Venezuelan, who embraced more of a hard-working role. Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reportingDaniel Pinter (5/10):A surprise introduction. Missed late on.Facundo Mura (6/10):Necessary legs for Allen in the second half. Didn't put a foot wrong. German Berterame (5/10):Put the ball in the net - only to see it flagged offside. A frustrating start in Miami colors. Leandro Stillitano (7/10):In charge for the day with Javier Mascherano serving a suspension. Didn't reinvent the wheel tactically, but got a win out of his side. Job done.