Lionel Messi played a key role in Inter Miami’s dramatic 2-2 draw against New York City FC in their opening match of the new Major League Soccer (MLS) season on Saturday. Despite playing with 10 men for most of the game, Inter Miami managed to salvage a point thanks to Messi’s late assist in stoppage time.
The match started well for Inter Miami, with Messi setting up the opening goal in just the fifth minute. His precise pass found Argentine defender Tomás Avilés, who calmly slotted the ball past the goalkeeper to give the home team the lead. However, Miami’s momentum took a hit just minutes later when forward Fafa Picault was forced off the field due to a suspected muscle injury.
Things got even worse in the 23rd minute when Avilés received a straight red card for bringing down Alonso Martínez near the penalty area. New York quickly capitalized on the numerical advantage, with Maxi Moralez delivering a free-kick that found an unmarked Mitja Ilenič, who fired into the net to level the score.
Inter Miami struggled defensively, relying on an inexperienced backline of Noah Allen and Ian Fray. New York City FC sensed an opportunity and took the lead in the 55th minute after Jordi Alba made a costly mistake. The Spanish veteran misplaced a pass directly to Martínez, who raced towards goal and calmly slotted past Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari.
Miami’s attack looked disjointed for most of the match, with Messi receiving little support. Luis Suárez, who had a quiet game, was substituted shortly after New York took the lead. Messi had a chance to equalize with a free-kick, but New York’s goalkeeper Matt Freese made a crucial save. Federico Redondo also missed an opportunity, firing wide from an Alba cutback.
However, in the dying moments of stoppage time, Messi delivered another moment of brilliance. The Argentine maestro threaded a perfect pass to Telasco Segovia, who lifted the ball over Freese to secure a dramatic 2-2 draw.
Miami’s new head coach, Javier Mascherano, spoke highly of Messi’s impact after the match. “He’s the soul of this team,” Mascherano said. “You could see with what he did at the end.”
