Inter Miami CF-New York Red Bulls Ends In a 2-2 Tie In Marquee MLS Game

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. — In a match that felt scripted for the ages, Inter Miami and the New York Red Bulls traded haymakers for 90 riveting minutes before settling for a 2-2 draw on a humid Saturday night at Miami’s gleaming new stadium. The result preserved the hosts’ six-game unbeaten run, yet left a sell-out crowd wondering how victory slipped away in the dying embers of a thriller that showcased both a living legend and the league’s next generation.

The Red Bulls arrived with no intention of playing supporting actors to Lionel Messi’s marquee billing. Their intent was clear in the 12th minute when Jorge Ruvalcaba lashed home the opener, momentarily hushing the pink-clad faithful who have waited since the stadium’s opening for a first home triumph.

Inter Miami answered on the stroke of halftime. Defender Mateo Silvetti thundered in the equalizer, lifting the decibel level and teeing up a second half dripping with tension.

Then came the 55th-minute sequence that underscored why defenses still scheme entire game plans around the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner. Picking up possession 25 yards out, Messi surged toward the penalty arc and instantly drew a swarm of four Red Bull shirts. While the visitors converged, Germán Berterame ghosted into the void they left behind. A tackle dispossessed Messi, but the loose ball sat up invitingly for Berterame, who ripped a right-footed strike inside the far post for a 2-1 Miami lead. Messi sprinted over, wrapping the Mexican in a headlock as the stadium erupted in relief and belief.

Soccer, however, delights in late twists. Enter the kids. In the 77th minute, 18-year-old Julian Hall drifted to the end line and clipped a precise cut-back that found 17-year-old Adri Mehmeti — born, almost impossibly, two days after Messi’s famous Champions League brace against Bayern in April 2009. Mehmeti’s first-time finish flashed past the keeper, leveling the score and silencing the home crowd once more.

The final quarter-hour resembled a heavyweight slugfest. Both sides saw would-be winners negated by offside flags, the most agonizing coming on a Red Bulls strike overturned by video review. Deep into stoppage time, Miami earned a free kick 25 yards out. Messi stood over the ball; 21,000 phones rose in unison. His curling effort seemed destined for the upper corner until goalkeeper Ethan Horvath launched himself leftward to paw the ball away, preserving the 2-2 scoreline.

When referee Ismail Elfath’s whistle ended proceedings, Miami’s streak survived, yet the locker-room mood felt more frustration than celebration. On a night that pitted a generational icon against a pair of teenagers old enough to be his sons, MLS once again proved its uncanny knack for delivering theater no Hollywood writer could devise.