Messi denied late, Miami still winless at new home

Lionel Messi had a free kick saved in second-half stoppage time as Inter Miami drew 2-2 with the New York Red Bulls on Saturday to remain without a win at its new stadium.

Messi helped set up Mexico striker Germán Berterame for a second-half goal that gave Inter Miami its first lead at Nu Stadium, but 17-year-old Adri Mehmeti‘s first career goal in the 77th minute secured a tie with Messi and the defending MLS Cup champions.

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Miami also drew 2-2 when Austin FC visited last week for the opening of its long-awaited new home.

“I believe that today the team deserved much more than what we got — that is the reality,” Miami head coach Javier Mascherano said in his post game news conference. “We paid a very high price for some mistakes we made, which is normal in football, but the team did everything it could to win the match.

“It leaves us with a very bitter feeling because, even though the flow of the game was completely different from the other day, the result is the same, and ultimately, that is all that matters here.”

Mateo Silvetti also scored for Inter Miami (3-1-3), which is now unbeaten in its last six MLS matches. Jorge Ruvalcaba scored for the Red Bulls (3-2-2), who have one win in their last five matches but rallied to get a point out of this one after wasting an early 1-0 lead.

Berterame’s goal looked like it would give Inter Miami some control.

There were no fewer than four defenders within a couple of yards of Messi — two of them squarely between him and the net — as he brought the ball toward the box in the 55th minute, and with all those eyeballs on him nobody seemed to be marking Berterame just to his left.

No shot, no problem. In fact, it was a bit of a bad break for the Red Bulls.

Messi had the ball knocked away but it simply rolled toward Berterame, who shot first time with his right foot for a 2-1 lead — with the Argentine great being the first to wrap him in a celebratory headlock after the goal.

It was Berterame’s first goal for Miami in his 10th appearance since joining in a $15 million offseason transfer.

“I try not to get too involved with social media — I try to avoid using it precisely for that reason, to steer clear of negativity,” Berterame said. “I try not to focus on that stuff; instead, I focus on working hard and maintaining the patience required of a forward.

“The goal is bound to come eventually, just like it did today, and now that the goal is opened, I hope they just keep coming.”

But a pair of kids made sure the lead didn’t last.

Julian Hall, 18, set up Mehmeti for the equalizer, finding space near the goal line and putting the ball into the perfect spot.

Messi had a chance in the 49th minute from about 12 yards out. He got the ball near the top of the box, stopped on a dime as Red Bulls defender Matthew Dos Santos went sliding past, flicked the ball to his left foot and tried a shot to the near post. It went just wide as he fell to the turf.

Both teams had goals waved off by offside calls — New York’s following a review — in the second half. Messi then had a 25-yard free kick stopped by Red Bulls goalkeeper Ethan Horvath in the 94th minute.

ESPN’s Lizzy Becherano and The Associated Press contributed to this report.