FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Telasco Segovia scored the tying purpose on an help by Lionel Messi within the tenth minute of stoppage time, and Inter Miami performed New York Metropolis FC to a 2-2 draw of their MLS opener Saturday night time.
On his second help of the night time, Messi hit a via ball to Segovia, who in his MLS debut completed with a pleasant shot from the proper aspect of the field to the underside left nook.
Inter Miami had performed a lot of the second half down a purpose. NewYork’s Alonso Martínez obtained a simple one previous Oscar Ustari after Inter Miami’s Jordi Alba mistakenly made a move on to Martínez to place New York up 2-1 within the fifty fifth minute.
However Messi, final season’s MLS MVP, helped his group salvage a tie, displaying no indicators of fatigue in his second match in three days.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner made his mark early. Simply 72 hours after scoring the winner in opposition to Sporting Kansas Metropolis within the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup’s first spherical, Messi took a move from Alba within the fifth minute Saturday.
Messi then fed it to Toto Aviles, who tapped it previous NewYork’s Matthew Freese to the underside left nook of the purpose to place Miami forward 1-0.
“He’s like a kid playing, and he doesn’t want to lose,” stated first-year Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano, who was employed after Gerardo “Tata” Martino stepped down in November.
Mascherano stated the 37-year-old Messi’s competitiveness was a bonus for Miami.
“We need to keep him with this spirit,” he stated, “because it’s not just what he does on the pitch, it’s what he translates to his teammates and all that he does with his 37 years.”
Aviles drew a crimson card later within the first on a late sliding sort out contained in the field, forcing Miami to play with 10 males the remainder of the way in which and organising the tying purpose that Mitja Ilenic scored on a little bit of trickery. On a free kick, Santi Rodriguez despatched a low move to Ilenic, who Inter Miami didn’t account for lined up far to the left of their defensive position.
Ilenic fired a cross-body shot to the far submit, because the smattering of NewYork followers at Chase Stadium erupted in cheers that lasted till the waning minutes of the match.
Miami entered this season with excessive expectations after ending atop the Japanese Convention final yr and profitable the Supporters Defend earlier than being surprisingly eradicated by Atlanta within the first spherical of the playoffs.
Underneath Mascherano, they’re hoping to repeat their dominance.
