Messi scores, but Inter Miami, Red Bulls draw 2-2 at Nu Stadium

Inter Miami CF created enough chances to win, again, but could not finish the job at home. A 2-2 draw with the New York Red Bulls on April 11 at Nu Stadium left Miami still searching for its first victory in its new, more than 22,000-seat venue at Miami Freedom Park, despite controlling 55% possession, piling up a 16-5 edge in shots and winning 12-3 on corners.

The official scoring summary captured the swing: Jorge Ruvalcaba put the Red Bulls ahead in the 15th minute, Mateo Silvetti equalized at 45’+1, Germán Berterame fired Miami in front in the 55th, and Adri Mehmeti leveled it in the 77th with what was framed as his first MLS goal. Late drama followed, including Lionel Messi’s 25-yard free kick in the 94th minute that Red Bulls goalkeeper Ethan Horvath saved to preserve the road point.

The underlying numbers made the draw feel like a referendum on game management, not shot creation. Miami finished with zero saves, while Horvath recorded five, a stark indicator that the Red Bulls converted a small number of moments while Miami required sustained pressure to score. Miami’s buildup to Silvetti’s stoppage-time equalizer also illustrated the blueprint that is working: Yannick Bright started the sequence, Rodrigo De Paul delivered the cross and Silvetti finished, with De Paul credited for his first MLS assist of the season and Silvetti scoring his second regular-season goal.

That same sequence also hints at the Messi-era pressure test. With Messi captaining an attack built to overwhelm opponents, Miami has shown it can generate volume and highlight moments at Nu Stadium, yet the team has not consistently “closed” leads once matches tilt into transitional phases. The Red Bulls absorbed pressure, survived stretches pinned deep and still found an equalizer, a tactical pattern that continues to challenge star-forward roster construction when the defensive margin for error is thin.

The stakes are bigger than one draw because MLS has tied much of its growth narrative to star-driven demand and premium matchday experiences, and Nu Stadium embodies that bet with natural grass, 360-degree viewing and a dedicated supporters’ section. The league’s commercial upside depends on nights like this delivering both spectacle and points; the competitive reality is that even with Messi as the central gravitational force, parity can turn dominant shot totals into only one point.

The draw left Inter Miami at 3-1-3 (12 points) and extended its unbeaten run to six in league play. Next, Miami travels to face the Colorado Rapids at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver on Saturday, April 18, with kickoff set for 4:30 p.m. ET.