Miami, who broke the regular season points record last year before crashing out in the first round of the playoffs, played the bulk of the match with 10 men after Argentine defender Tomas Aviles was sent off. Messi provided the assists for both Miami's goals including the leveler which came in the 10th minute of stoppage time.

With new head coach Javier Mascherano in charge for the first time in MLS, having replaced fellow Argentine Gerardo Martino, Miami featured several new faces but looked disjointed and lacking shape for most of the encounter. The night began perfectly for Miami who took the lead in the fifth minute after Messi played a corner deep to Jordi Alba who returned a pinpoint diagonal pass which the World Cup winner slipped across to Aviles who slotted home.

But then things started to go wrong for the MLS Cup favourites. One of the off-season arrivals, forward Fafa Picault, had to go off in the 10th minute after going down with what appeared to be a muscle injury.

Then, 13 minutes later, the momentum of the game shifted significantly towards New York when Aviles brought down Alonso Martinez on the edge of the box and received a straight red card. From the free-kick Maxi Moralez took advantage of the disorganisation in the Miami defence - slipping a pass to the unmarked Slovenian Mitja Ilenic who fired into the bottom corner.

Makeshift defence

Miami with a makeshift, inexperienced central defensive pairing of Noah Allen and Ian Fray, struggled to get a grip on the game although substitute Robert Taylor forced City keeper Matt Freese into a fine save at the end of the half. New York could sense there was the chance for an upset but they could barely believe their luck when they were gifted the lead by Alba in the 55th minute.

The former Spain and Barcelona left-back passed straight to New York forward Martinez who gleefully accepted the gift and burst goalwards before slotting past Oscar Ustari. Messi was getting little in the way of quality service and next to no support from the largely ineffective Luis Suarez who was substituted four minutes after the goal.

Freese kept out a Messi free-kick and Alba found Federico Redondo with a fine pull-back but the midfielder side-footed wide. But in the 10th minute of stoppage time Messi provided the touch of class Miami needed - slipping a perfectly weighted pass through to Telasco Segovia and the Venezuelan provided a deft finish to lift the ball over Freese for the equaliser.

February 23, 2025

Mitja Ilenič

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