On the morning of February 23 (Vietnam time), Inter Miami hosted New York City in the opening match of the 2025 MLS.
Right from the 5th minute, the home team had an impressive opening goal. Messi, after a quick corner kick with Ruiz, quickly returned the ball to Alba and headed into the penalty area. He attracted the attention of the opponent's defense and passed it to aviles, who easily scored to help Miami lead 1-0.
However, the home team's joy did not last long. In the 23rd minute, Aviles became a hero when he received a direct red card for a serious foul on Martinez near the penalty area. At the moment, Inter Miami has only 10 players left on the field, creating an opportunity for the opponent.
With the advantage of one more player, New York City did not miss the opportunity. Just 3 minutes later, Moralez took a smart free kick, passing it across to Ilenic, who was moving freely on the right wing. Ilenic calmly controlled the ball and then coolly finished to defeat goalkeeper Ustari, equalizing the score 1-1.
In the second half, defensive mistakes cost Miami. In the 55th minute, Alba unexpectedly lost the ball, allowing Martinez to take it and launch an accurate shot, putting New York City ahead 2-1.
Despite playing with one less player and conceding a goal, Inter Miami did not give up. Messi continued to show his leadership role when he made an excellent assist for Segovia to score the equalizer to make it 2-2 in the 90+10 minute.
With two classy assists, Messi continues to affirm his important influence in the team. However, this draw leaves Inter Miami facing many challenges ahead if they want to compete fairly in MLS 2025.
