MIAMI (AP) — Lionel Messi scored on the long-awaited opening night in his new home stadium. And Luis Suarez found a way to tie things up late in the second half.
It was good enough to salvage a point for Inter Miami.
Messi scored on a header in the 10th minute, Suarez hammered home a volley in the 82nd minute and Inter Miami escaped with a 2-2 tie against Austin FC in the defending MLS champions’ first match at their still-under-construction stadium near Miami International Airport on Saturday night.
Inter Miami (3-1-2) is now unbeaten in its last five MLS matches, and Austin (1-2-3) is now winless in its last four contests.
MLS Commissioner Don Garber was at the match, lauding the work that David Beckham — who picked Miami 13 years ago — did to get to this day. Inter Miami is in its seventh MLS season, its third with Messi, but has played home matches in Fort Lauderdale until now.
Garber touted the stadium opening as the latest sign of growth for MLS.
“I think our best days are still ahead,” Garber said. “David shined a light on our league, and Leo’s taking that torch, and he’s showing it around. And we’re getting calls from players around the world.”
The Herons never led; Austin took a 1-0 lead on Guilherme Biro’s goal — the first ever at Nu Stadium — in the sixth minute, and the visitors went up 2-1 when speedy reserve Jayden Nelson scored in the 53rd minute.
Messi and Suarez both got tying goals, and Inter Miami missed some chances for a potential winner in the final minutes. Maybe the best of the lot: Mateo Silvetti’s chance in the 87th minute, when he accepted a cross from the right wing and tried to one-time the ball but sent it sailing high.
“We already know what Leo is capable of and the trouble he causes for the opposition, and even without the ball as well,” Inter Miami defender Maxi Falcon told Apple TV after the match. “And Luis, too — whenever he’s inside the box, he’s lethal, and he proved that once again.”
Suarez thought he scored in the 90th minute after a free kick from Messi, but the play was called offside. And Messi had a chance about three minutes later from inside the box, but Brad Stuver got low for a save diving to his left to keep the game knotted at 2-2.
Stuver said it was a great result, especially given the circumstances — against the MLS champs, who were opening their new stadium.
“We got to be the villains,” Stuver said.
Austin led much of the second half, after Nelson came on at intermission and gave his club a spark.
Nelson — who played for Vancouver against Inter Miami in last season’s MLS Cup final — got behind the defense, avoided going offside and took a pass from Myrto Uzuni in the middle of the field about 30 yards from the goal.
He sent a low shot that got past charging Inter Miami goalie Dayne St. Clair and kissed off the inside of the left goalpost before settling into the net.
Up next
Austin: Host LA Galaxy on April 11.
Inter Miami: Host New York Red Bulls on April 11.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
