Inter Miami draws dramatically with 10 men, Messi assists two great goals
Inter Miami managed to secure a dramatic 2-2 draw after playing with 10 men for over 80 minutes, with Lionel Messi contributing two brilliant assists.
In the 10th minute of added time, Messi showed his brilliance for the last time in the match. After receiving the ball from Telasco Segovia just past midfield, Messi sprinted towards the opponent’s box, bypassing four defenders. He expertly passed the ball through them to Segovia, who calmly chipped it over the goalkeeper into the net, securing the draw.
With this dramatic late goal, Inter Miami began the new Major League Soccer season with a 2-2 draw against New York City Football Club on Sunday morning (Bangladesh time).
This was the first match for both teams in the new MLS season.
Although Messi didn’t score, both of Miami’s goals were assisted by him. The first came early in the match, and the second came in the dying moments. Tómas Ávila, who scored the first goal, was sent off with a red card in the 23rd minute. The match finished in the 105th minute, with Miami playing with 10 men from the 82nd minute onward.
Miami took the lead in the 5th minute, with Messi receiving a brilliant pass from Jordi Alba inside the box. After evading a defender, Messi laid the ball off to Ávila, who slid it into the net with ease.
However, in the 18th minute, Ávila fouled Alonso Martínez from behind, earning a red card. Two minutes later, New York equalized.
In the 55th minute, a mistake by Jordi Alba allowed Martínez to give New York the lead. Miami, despite being down to 10 players, created pressure and had several chances but couldn’t convert. Messi’s excellent free kick in the 72nd minute was saved by the goalkeeper, and in the 84th minute, Federico Redondo missed an open shot inside the box after a brilliant Messi-Alba connection.
Finally, Segovia’s goal in the dying moments secured the dramatic draw. In his first match as a coach in Major League Soccer, Javier Mascherano celebrated the point with an ecstatic display.
