By our man at the Nu
MIAMI, FLORIDA — It was supposed to be the grand opening victory party, but Lionel Messi and his cast of superstars were left with a familiar feeling of “what if” as they were held to a frustrating 2-2 draw by a relentless New York Red Bulls.
Despite the glitz and glamour of Inter Miami’s second-ever match at their purpose-built Nu Stadium, the Herons are still searching for their first win on the new turf. For all the Ballon d’Or pedigree on the pitch, it was the Red Bulls’ vibrant teenagers who grabbed the spotlight on a humid Florida night.
Miami, managed by Javier Mascherano, started with a lineup dripping in quality, including Argentine World Cup winner Rodrigo De Paul and the legendary Messi. However, the script went out the window in the 15th minute.
New York’s 18-year-old sensation Julian Hall terrorized the Miami defense, skipping past center-backs before teeing up Jorge Ruvalcaba to silence the home crowd. The Red Bulls’ high-press energy looked like it might overwhelm the veteran Miami stars, who struggled to find their rhythm in a cagey first half.
The “Messi Effect” finally took hold just before the interval. A sweeping seven-pass move ended with De Paul—who worked tirelessly in a wider role—looping a delicious cross for Mateo Silvetti to volley home at the far post.
Ten minutes after the restart, the turnaround seemed complete. Messi, dancing through a thicket of defenders, drove into the box; the ball eventually fell to Mexican striker German Berterame, who lashed home his first-ever goal for the club. The stadium erupted, thinking the Messi-led era at Nu Stadium had finally found its lift-off.
But the Red Bulls didn’t read the script. With 13 minutes to play, Hall was at it again, orchestrating a move that saw Adri Mehmeti tap in a shock equalizer.
Desperate to find a winner, Mascherano threw on Luis Suarez for the closing stages. The Uruguayan veteran had two golden sights of goal but found former USMNT keeper Ethan Horvath in inspired form. Horvath then sealed his Man of the Match credentials in stoppage time, producing a fingertip save to deny a trademark Messi free-kick that was destined for the top corner.
A late Berterame effort was chalked off for offside—with Messi the culprit in the build-up—leaving the superstars frustrated and the Red Bulls celebrating a gritty point on the road.