The New England Revolution were close, but star-studded Inter Miami CF generally don’t go quietly.
And so it was on Saturday night, as both sides settled for a 1-1 tie at Nu Stadium.
Yet, the Revolution (5-3-1, 16 points) will be the happier of the two sides. While the result snaps a five-game winning streak across all competitions, the Revs are unbeaten in six, have picked up back-to-back road results, and have the credibility of having taken Lionel Messi and the star-studded, defending MLS Cup champions to the brink.
Conversely, Miami (5-1-4, 19 points) was sloppy and out of sync, and have now failed to win in three tries in their newly-opened home arena.
Messi, Miami’s main talisman and the oft-regarded greatest of all-time, was uncharacteristically off his game for much of the night. He was marked tightly by Revolution central midfielders Alhassan Yusuf and Brooklyn Raines, his touches at times off and his head sinking after Revolution captain Carles Gil gave the visitors the lead in the 56th minute by poking in the remnants of a Will Sands throw-in after emerging unmarked in the penalty area.
“We were just very focused that somebody’s always on Messi, in those pockets, when they have the ball, because no matter what, I think their first option is to play to Messi,” first-year Revolution head coach Marko Mitrovic said. “Everything is easy to say and put on paper, but when you play against players like Messi…to execute, that’s not easy. I know that he had some very good moments today, but I also know that we had moments where we were very good against him.”
But Miami pressed hard and had an 18-16 edge in shots, even having a goal annulled on a tight offside call. Their breakthrough eventually came in the 76th minute, Nu Stadium erupting when German Berterame equalized into an open net following an easy rebound on Luis Suarez’s low drive.
That said, the performance was a proof point for Mitrovic and his players. They successfully limited Messi, with excellent marking, wing play, and smart counter-attacks leading the way in a wide-open contest.
Revolution goalkeeper Matt Turner — who continues to vie for the U.S. men’s national team’s starting role at this summer’s FIFA World Cup — had a standout performance, with nine saves, including three on Messi. That Turner was so active and resolute against a quality opposition will be of note to the U.S. coaching staff. Indeed, playing Miami may have been Turner’s last high-profile opportunity to stand out before U.S. head coach Mauricio Pochettino names his roster for the tournament at the end of May.
The Revolution host Orlando City SC on Wednesday night in the Round of 16 of the U.S. Open Cup, and return to MLS regular season play on Saturday against Charlotte FC.