Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami took the pitch searching for their first victory at Nu Stadium following their opening-day draw against Austin FC. However, they were unable to overcome a resilient NY Red Bulls side, who put in a strong performance to secure a 2-2 result.
After falling behind early to a 15th-minute strike by Jorge Ruvalcaba, Inter Miami found an equalizer just one minute before halftime thanks to a well-taken goal by Mateo Silvetti.
The hosts struck again early in the second half, with German Berterame netting his first official goal for Inter Miami. At that moment, it appeared the Herons were well on their way to a historic first win at their new grounds.
However, with only 13 minutes remaining on the clock, Julian Hall orchestrated a brilliant play to set up Adri Mehmeti for a tap-in, spoiling the party for Inter Miami and ensuring the points were shared at Nu Stadium.
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End of the game!
Inter Miami and NY Red Bulls finished the game 2-2!
90'+4- What a save by Horvath! (2-2)
Horvath denies Lionel Messi a spectacular free kick!
90'- Stoppage time! (2-2)
The referee added six more minutes.
89'- Goal disallowed for Inter Miami! (2-2)
German Berterame scored for Inter Miami but the goal was disallowed due to an offside position from Lionel Messi.
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86'- Modifications in Red Bulls (2-2)
Adri Mehmeti and Emil Forsberg were replaced by Gustav Berggren and Eric Choupo-Moting.
84'- Sofo misses a great chance (2-2)
Sofo received the ball inside the box and had enough time to settle himself, yet he still dragged his shot wide of St. Clair’s goal.
The substitutions seem to have revitalized the Red Bulls, who are amping up the pressure in search of an equalizer that could turn the tide of the match.
67'- Modification in Inter Miami (2-1)
Mateo Silvetti was replaced by Gonzalo Lujan.
64'- Modifications in NY Red Bulls (2-1)
Jorge Ruvalcaba and Cade Cowell were replaced by Mohammed Sofo and Rafael Mosquera.
63'- Goal disallowed for NY Red Bulls! (2-1)
The Red Bulls found the equalizer, but after a VAR review, the referee ruled out an offside position from Cade Cowell.
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58'- First yellow card of the game (2-1)
Red Bulls' Cade Cowell received the first yellow card of the game.
54'- GOOOOAAAAAL OF INTER MIAMI!!! (2-1)
German Berterame extends the lead for Inter Miami!!
Silvetti fired a powerful strike from distance, but it sailed well wide of the goal.
48'- What a miss by Messi! (1-1)
After a brilliant play by Messi, the Argentine incredibly missed from inside the box what looked like a sure goal for Inter Miami
46'- Modification in Inter Miami (1-1)
Sergio Reguilon was replaced by Daniel Pinter.
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The second half is underway!
Inter Miami and NY Red Bulls are already playing the second half!
First half summary
After a fairly intense start with both teams pressing high and looking aggressive on the attack, the tempo of the game gradually slowed as the half progressed. The momentum shifted in the 15th minute when, following a clinical counterattack led by Hall, Ruvalcaba found the back of the net to give the visitors the lead and silence Nu Stadium.
Following the opening goal, Inter Miami looked somewhat disorganized on the pitch, struggling to create any clear-cut scoring opportunities. However, just when it looked like the Red Bulls would head into the locker room with a 1-0 lead, Mateo Silvetti slipped past the defense unmarked at the back post to meet a brilliant cross from Rodrigo De Paul and level the match right before halftime.
Action is sparse at the moment as the match slowly winds down toward halftime.
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38'- Nice try from Berterame! (0-1)
Following a pinpoint cross from De Paul, Berterame won the aerial battle and connected with a strong header, but Horvath made a great save to deny him.
33'- Dangerous try from Ruvalcaba (0-1)
Ruvalcaba’s initial shot was blocked by a defender, but he gathered the rebound for a second attempt, only to misfire and send the ball wide of the target.
28'- Inter Miami dominate the posession (0-1)
Despite trailing in the match, Inter Miami are dominating the ball with 58% possession. However, the Herons have been unable to translate that control into high-quality scoring chances so far.
23'- What a save by Horvath (0-1)
Rodrigo De Paul had a clear chance from inside the box, but Horvath made a spectacular save to prevent Inter Miami from finding the equalizer!
The match is a tightly contested battle in the midfield; neither team can't create dangerous chances, turning the encounter into a physical struggle.
6'- What a miss by Berterame! (0-0)
Following a brilliant move by Lionel Messi, the Argentine delivered a great pass that German Berterame only had to tap in, but he surprisingly failed to make contact!
3'- Intense start (0-0)
An intense start at Nu Stadium, with both teams playing very physically in a match that looks like it will be an end-to-end affair.
GAME ON!
The game between Inter Miami and NY Red Bulls is underway!
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Players are on the pitch!
Players from both teams are on the field. Everything is ready for the start of the match!
NY Red Bulls bring good memories to Messi
Lionel Messi’s first-ever MLS goal came when he faced the NY Red Bulls on August 26, 2023. On that occasion, the Herons won 2-0, with Messi scoring the second goal after coming off the substitute bench.
Both teams doing warm up activities
Players for both sides have taken the field for warmups at Nu Stadium!
NY Red Bulls lineup confirmed!
Red Bulls' starting XI: Horvath; Dos Santos, Voloder, Nealis, Marshall-Rutty; Forsberg, Mehmeti, Donkor; Ruvalcaba, Hall, Cowell.
During his pre-match press conference, New York Red Bulls head coach Michael Bradley let Bolavip know that his players won't get distracted about facing Lionel Messi and the Inter Miami stars.
“They don’t get distracted at all,” Bradley told Bolavip during a media session on Thursday. “We have a really good group. Training has been excellent all week. Like we have all season long, we continue to talk about the idea that we play one game at a time. You play the team that’s in front of you, and you get ready, you do everything you can all week to prepare and to be ready, when that whistle blows, to spill your heart and soul into that game and that 90 minutes. And when that’s done, then we get ready to do it again“.
Nu Stadium prepares for second round
After a somewhat bittersweet debut following the 2-2 draw against Austin FC, Nu Stadium is preparing to host the second match since its inauguration and hopes for the first victory of this new era.
Gianni Taina is a bilingual journalist, fluent in English and Spanish, with a specialization in soccer, NBA, and tennis. He began his professional career in 2020 with Mundo Deportivo US, where he first established himself as a writer. Throughout his career, Gianni has covered major sports events such as the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the NBA Finals, and Grand Slam tournaments like the French Open. His ability to report on real-time events and perform well under pressure has made him a valuable member of a top-tier team of journalists. In 2024, he joined Bolavip US, bringing his expertise in soccer, NBA, and tennis to deliver original content while providing live coverage of important events.
