MIAMI (AP) – Lionel Messi scored two goals in a Champions League game against Barcelona on April 8, 2009, two days after Adli Mehmeti was born.
Just 17 years later, both players had a say in their team’s outcome Saturday night.
Messi set up Germán Bertelame’s goal in the second half to give Inter Miami their first lead in their new stadium, and Mehmeti scored his first MLS goal in the 77th minute to pull the New York Red Bulls to a 2-2 draw with Messi and the defending MLS Cup champions on Saturday night.
Matteo Silvetti also scored for Inter Miami (3-1-3), who are currently unbeaten in their last six MLS games. Jorge Rubalcaba scored for the Red Bulls (3-2-2). The Red Bulls have won one of their last five games, but after squandering an early 1-0 lead, they came back to pick up a point in this game.
Bertelame’s goal seemed to give Inter Miami the lead.
When Messi carried the ball into the box in the 55th minute, there were no fewer than four defenders within a few yards of him – two of them directly in front of him and the net – and with so many eyes on Messi, no one seemed to be marking Bertelame, who was just to his left.
No shots, but no problem. It was actually a bit of a bad break for Red Bull.
Messi flicked the ball away, but it rolled toward Bertelame, who scored with his right foot for a 2-1 lead. The greatest player of all time was the first to put Messi in a celebratory headlock after scoring. They opened last weekend with a draw against Austin FC, giving Inter Miami the lead for the first time in two games and 150 minutes of play at the new stadium.
But two children made sure the lead didn’t last.
Julian Hall, 18 years old; Set mehmeti to equalizerfind a space near the goal line and put the ball in the perfect spot.
Messi had a chance in the 49th minute from about 12 yards left. He won the ball near the top of the box, stopped just before Red Bulls defender Matthew dos Santos was sliding past him, and flicked the ball with his left foot to try and shoot at the near post. When he fell to the grass, it just went wide.
In the second half, both teams had goals ruled out for offside (New York following review). Messi also had a 25-yard free kick in the 94th minute that was stopped by Red Bulls goalkeeper Ethan Horvath.
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