Inter Miami's struggle at their new NU home stadium continues following a 2-2 draw against New York Red Bulls on the evening of 11/4. This result marks their second consecutive failure to secure a win at the venue.

This latest match saw Lionel Messi and his teammates once again chasing the game. New York Red Bulls took an early lead in the 15th minute when Julian Hall broke through on the right wing, drawing two Miami defenders, before crossing for Jorge Ruvalcaba to calmly slot home the opening goal. However, the reigning MLS champions responded, with Mateo Silvetti equalizing 1-1 in the 45+2 minute, capitalizing on a Rodrigo De Paul cross that Messi challenged for, distracting opposition defenders.

Inter Miami continued their dominance after halftime, taking the lead in the 55th minute. As Messi drove through the center, an opposing player's deflection inadvertently created an assist for German Berterame, who fired home to make it 2-1.

Messi (left) celebrates with Berterame during Inter Miami's 2-2 draw against New York Red Bulls in MLS round six on the evening of 11/4. Photo: AP

Despite gaining the lead, Inter Miami's defense proved inconsistent, making continuous errors and leaving significant spaces. This vulnerability allowed Julian Hall to dribble freely inside the penalty area in the 78th minute, delivering a cross for Adri Mehmeti to tap in the equalizer, resulting in a 2-2 draw.

This draw is Inter Miami's fourth in five consecutive matches across all competitions. Their recent run includes 0-0 and 1-1 draws against Nashville in the CONCACAF Champions Cup round of 16, and 0-0 against Charlotte and 2-2 against Austin in MLS. The Austin draw was also at their new NU stadium last week, where they had to come from behind to secure a point.

With 11 points after six MLS 2026 rounds, Inter Miami currently ranks 4th in the Eastern Conference table and 11th in the combined two-conference table. Individually, Messi has scored 5 goals this season but has not yet provided any assists. This contrasts with his performance last season, when the 38-year-old forward was instrumental in Inter Miami's championship win, becoming the top scorer with 29 goals and the top assist provider with 19 assists. Messi's career goal tally stands at 903, placing him second only to Cristiano Ronaldo, who has 968 goals.

Thanh Quy