Substitute Luis Suarez scored his first goal of the season in the 82nd minute after Lionel Messi scored his fifth and Inter Miami salvaged a 2-2 draw against visiting Austin FC to officially open their new permanent stadium on Saturday night.
Both goals pulled Miami (3-1-2, 11 points) back from a goal down at the 26,700-seat Nu Stadium just west of downtown Miami, which replaces the Herons’ temporary home of Chase Stadium in nearby Fort Lauderdale.
Austin’s Guiherme Biro scored the first goal in the venue early in the first half, and Jayden Nelson temporarily restored the visitors’ lead early in the second.
It was the first time the Verde (1-2-3, 6 points) have scored multiple goals since a 2-2 home draw against Minnesota in their season opener.
But Austin were forced to settle for a share of the points when Suarez leveled nine minutes after his entrance on a well-worked corner.
Mateo Silvetti struck the inswinging service to the near post, and German Berterame met it with a flick-on header to the far post. That’s where Suarez showed up for a first-time volley from close range.
Once level late, Miami looked far more likely to get the winner. Suarez briefly thought he’d dispatched a rebound into the net for a winner, only to be ruled offside. Then Austin’s Brad Stuver sprawled to deny Messi’s low effort in second-half stoppage time.
A rare turnover from Messi led to Austin’s second goal in the 53rd minute.
Joseph Rosales took the ball off the Argentine, took several touches forward to begin a break and then sprayed a pass further up the left flank to Myrto Uzuni.
From there, Uzuni played a very clever first-time diagonal ball — benefiting from a fortunate deflection off Miami’s Noah Allen — into the path of Nelson sprinting up the center channel. Nelson finished the sequence off the inside of the left post and into the net.
Austin first went in front on a sixth-minute corner. Facundo Torres provided the outswinging service, and Miami’s Tadeo Allende slightly misjudged his clearing header attempt.
That allowed the ball to drop for Biro, who powered a low header off the turf and past Dayne St. Clair.
Messi pulled the Herons level four minutes later after Telasco Segovia orchestrated a flowing left-to-right move, eventually playing the ball to Ian Fray on the right flank.
Fray looped a cross back toward the penalty spot, where Messi connected with a relatively rare headed goal into the top-right corner.
–Field Level Media
