NY Red Bulls managed to find a late equaliser and snatched a point away at Inter Miami on Saturday, as Leo Messi is denied late on
Inter Miami’s search for a maiden victory at their newly inaugurated Nu Stadium continues after a 2-2 draw with the New York Red Bulls on Saturday.
The result leaves Javier Mascherano’s side unbeaten in six league matches but frustrated by defensive lapses that have seen them drop points in consecutive home fixtures.
Despite the presence of Leo Messi and a milestone goal for Germán Berterame, the Herons were unable to suppress the energy of the visitors’ young core.
The reigning MLS Cup champions, who were held to a similar scoreline by Austin FC during their stadium opener last week, once again found themselves unable to secure a maximum points haul in front of their home support.
New York seized the initiative early in the first half, exploiting gaps in a restructured Miami backline. In the 15th minute, 18-year-old Julian Hall showcased his pace by surging past the central defensive pairing of Micael and Maximiliano Falcón.
Hall’s precise delivery found Jorge Ruvalcaba, who made no mistake in slotting the ball home to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.
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Miami responded with sustained pressure, eventually finding their breakthrough in the second minute of stoppage time before the interval. A controlled move concluded with Rodrigo De Paul lofting a cross to the back post, where Mateo Silvetti converted with a first-time strike to level the scores.
Berterame ends drought before teenage equaliser
The momentum stayed with the hosts following the restart, and they appeared to have turned the game around in the 55th minute. Lionel Messi drew the attention of the Red Bulls’ defence as he drifted toward the penalty area; as the ball was poked away from him, it fell kindly to Germán Berterame.
The Inter Miami striker, ending a nine-match goal drought, one-timed his finish into the net to record his first goal for the club since his high-profile move from Monterrey. The lead nearly doubled shortly after, but New York goalkeeper Ethan Horvath produced a series of crucial saves to deny both Messi and second-half substitute Luis Suárez.
However, the Red Bulls refused to buckle and found their equaliser in the 77th minute through 17-year-old Adri Mehmeti. The teenager, who was born just days after Messi scored a famous Champions League brace for Barcelona in 2009, tapped in his first MLS goal following clever build-up play from Hall near the goal line.
The closing stages were marked by frantic end-to-end action, with both teams having goals ruled out for offside. In the 94th minute, Miami had one final opportunity to snatch the win when they were awarded a free kick 25 yards from goal.
Messi’s curling effort seemed destined for the top corner, but Horvath mirrored his earlier heroics with a spectacular diving save to preserve the point.
The draw sees Inter Miami move to a 3-1-3 record for the season, while New York maintain their solid start to the campaign at 3-2-2.
