Inter Miami’s MLS season opener against New York City FC was full of drama, with several twists in the first half alone. After scoring the Herons’ first goal from a brilliant assist by Lionel Messi, center-back Tomas Aviles was shown a red card following a late tackle.
Just five minutes into the match, Inter Miami took the lead when Messi and Jordi Alba played a perfect one-two, setting up Messi to deliver a precise ball to Aviles, who simply had to tap it in.
However, things quickly took a turn in the 22nd minute. As NYC FC’s Alonso Martinez found himself in a one-on-one situation with goalkeeper Oscar Ustari, Aviles made a rash tackle from behind, earning a red card from referee Rosendo Mendoza shortly after opening the scoring.
Lmao the goal scorer collects a red card
The foul proved costly, as NYC FC equalized just minutes later. A well-executed set-piece led to Maximiliano Moralez sending a pinpoint pass to Mitja Ilenič, who finished clinically to level the score.
Fafa Picault’s disastrous MLS debut
Fafa Picault, a free agent signing from Vancouver Whitecaps, was one of the new faces for Inter Miami in the 2025 MLS season. The Haitian forward had impressed in preseason matches, including the CONCACAF Champions Cup against Sporting Kansas City. However, his MLS debut took a turn for the worse.
Just 10 minutes into the match, Picault fell to the ground after seemingly suffering a muscle injury. He was replaced by Robert Taylor, leaving Inter Miami down one attacking option early in the game.
*Developing story…
