Lionel Messi proved to be the savior for Inter Miami as they stumbled to a 2-2 home draw against New York City FC in the opening round of the new Major League Soccer season on Saturday.
Miami played with 10 men for most of the match after Argentine defender Tomas Aviles was sent off, but Messi’s brilliance provided the assists for both of Miami’s goals, including the equalizer in the 10th minute of stoppage time.
Despite being the MLS Cup favorites, Miami looked disjointed for most of the encounter, with new head coach Javier Mascherano making his MLS debut. The team featured several new faces, but struggled to find their rhythm.
Messi’s magic was on full display as he slipped a pass to Aviles for the opening goal, but things quickly took a turn for the worse as Aviles was sent off and New York City FC capitalized on the disorganization in Miami’s defense to take the lead.
However, Messi’s touch of class in the dying minutes of the game provided the equalizer, with Telasco Segovia finishing off the Venezuelan’s deft finish. Mascherano praised Messi’s spirit and work rate, saying, “He’s the soul of this team… He isn’t just playing in attack, he helps out in defence, running back, running in midfield, he’s magnificent.”
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