Inter Miami CF head coach Javier Mascherano praised his team’s determination after they battled through adversity to secure a draw against New York City FC at Chase Stadium in their 2025 MLS season opener on Saturday. Despite playing with 10 men for much of the match, Miami managed to equalize in the final moments.
The game started in Miami’s favor when Tomás Avilés found the net in the fifth minute, finishing off a pass from Lionel Messi. However, their momentum took an early hit as new signing Fafà Picault was forced off due to injury just 10 minutes into his debut.
Shortly after, Avilés was shown a straight red card for bringing down NYCFC’s Alonso Martínez outside the box, leaving Miami with a numerical disadvantage. Mascherano adjusted his squad to cope with being a man down, but another setback followed when Marcelo Weigandt also had to be substituted due to injury.
NYCFC capitalized on their advantage, with Mitja Ilenic and Martínez scoring on either side of halftime to take the lead. Just when it seemed Miami would suffer a season-opening defeat, Messi once again provided the decisive pass, setting up Telasco Segovia’s stoppage-time equalizer in the 100th minute.
Mascherano lauded his players’ resilience, emphasizing their fighting spirit. “In the end, the team scores because it has heart, it has soul,” he said. “We played at minus 24 degrees less than 72 hours ago, and today, they ran like warriors. We have to overcome the obstacles ahead.”
The Argentine coach also revealed that Inter Miami had requested to reschedule the match to Sunday due to their tight schedule following a Concacaf Champions Cup match against Sporting Kansas City just three days earlier. However, the league denied their request.
“Tomorrow, we’ll conduct thorough tests to assess Picault and Weigandt’s injuries,” Mascherano added. “Playing in extreme cold just days ago and then traveling for hours takes a toll. Players are not machines; they are human beings, and without them, football wouldn’t exist.”
Mascherano further highlighted Messi’s crucial role in the team, describing him as the squad’s driving force. “Messi is the soul of this team, and you saw that on the pitch,” he said. “At 37, he’s not just leading the attack—he’s pressing defenders, covering midfield, and setting an example. He is magnificent.”
Inter Miami now shifts focus to their upcoming Concacaf Champions Cup match against Sporting Kansas City at Chase Stadium on Tuesday, February 25. They hold a 1-0 aggregate lead after Messi scored the lone goal in the first leg.
