Teen Adri Mehmeti Scores First MLS Goal as Red Bulls Rally for 2-2 Draw at Inter Miami

The AP dug up a delicious coincidence: Adri Mehmeti was two days old when Lionel Messi bagged a Champions League brace for Barcelona on April 8, 2009. On Saturday night at Nu Stadium, the kid got the last word.

Mehmeti's first MLS goal in the 77th minute pulled Red Bull New York level, and the Red Bulls left South Florida with a 2-2 draw against Inter Miami CF in front of 26,277. Julian Hall, 18 according to the AP, assisted both New York goals, Germán Berterame finally opened his Miami account, and Ethan Horvath made five saves to keep Messi and company from pulling away. Nobody won, but one locker room clearly felt better about it.

The Kids Land the First Blow

Miami pushed early. Berterame missed from very close range off a Messi corner in the seventh minute, and Micael headed another Messi delivery over two minutes later. Then the Red Bulls showed what they do best.

In the 15th minute, Hall broke down the field, drew two defenders according to the Red Bulls' recap, and found Jorge Ruvalcaba alone in the middle of the box. Ruvalcaba hammered his finish into the bottom right corner for a 1-0 lead. The club said it was Ruvalcaba's first MLS goal, too.

Miami spent the rest of the half laying siege. Horvath saved from Rodrigo De Paul in the 23rd minute, from a Berterame header in the 39th and from a Micael header in the 41st. The pressure finally paid off in the first minute of stoppage time, when De Paul crossed and Mateo Silvetti finished from the center of the box. One-all at the break.

Berterame Breaks Through

The second half opened with more Miami chances. The AP described Messi wrong-footing a sliding Matthew Dos Santos in the 49th minute before his left-footed shot slid just wide of the near post, and Silvetti missed twice in quick succession.

In the 55th minute, Miami finally went in front. Per the AP, Messi drew a crowd of four defenders on his way toward the box, lost the ball, and watched it trickle to Berterame, who had drifted free and swept a first-time finish into the bottom right corner. MLS said it was the Mexican international's first goal for Miami, ending an eight-match scoreless run across all competitions, and the AP noted it gave the club its first lead in its new stadium. Messi, per the AP, was first in line for the celebration.

New York thought it had answered in the 62nd minute, when Robert Voloder put the ball in the net, but the goal was ruled out after a VAR review. The AP said each side had a goal waved off for offside in the second half.

The Turning Point: A Set Piece and a Teenager

Head coach Michael Bradley went to his bench in the 66th minute, sending on Rafael Mosquera and Mohammed Sofo, and the Red Bulls kept chasing. In the 77th minute, Emil Forsberg delivered a free kick, and Hall, finding space near the goal line, picked out Mehmeti, who finished from very close range.

The Red Bulls said Mehmeti became the youngest goal scorer in MLS this season and the 16th-youngest in league history. "Everybody's mentality is always, always on top," Mehmeti said afterward. "Everyone's sharp."

Miami brought on Luis Suárez in the 79th minute and he forced Horvath into another save off a Messi cross two minutes later. Messi then lined up a free kick from outside the box in the fourth minute of stoppage time, and Horvath saved it low in the bottom right corner. Bedlam averted.

Star Watch

Hall was the story within the story. Two assists, both created out of very little, and according to the club he became the seventh-youngest player in MLS history to record two assists in a match, at 18 years and 18 days old. Bradley raved about him. "He has really, really good qualities as a nine, in terms of his ability to score goals, his ability to set up goals," the coach said.

Horvath made five saves, four of them from inside the 18-yard box, per the club, which said it was the most he has made in a match for New York. That stop on Messi's late free kick might be the one he frames.

For Miami, De Paul was relentless: an assist, a shot on target and five fouls drawn. Berterame had two shots on target and the goal. Messi had three shots, one on target, and was the engine behind the second goal even without touching the final ball.

Stats That Matter

• Shots: Miami 16, New York 5, with Miami holding a 7-2 edge on target.
• Efficiency: The Red Bulls scored on both of their shots on target.
• Saves: Horvath 5, Dayne St. Clair 0.
• Corners: Miami 12, New York 3.
• Possession: Miami 55.2 percent, New York 44.8 percent.

What It Means

Miami moves to 3-3-1 with 12 points and remains unbeaten in six straight MLS matches, a run the AP also noted. But the defending MLS Cup champions, as both the AP and MLS describe them, have now drawn their first two matches at Nu Stadium, both 2-2. Back-to-back road trips to Colorado on April 18 and Real Salt Lake four days later come next.

The Red Bulls are 3-2-2 with 11 points, and the AP pointed out they have just one win in their last five. Still, rallying from behind at Miami is a strong look. "Coming here, it's not easy to pick up points," Hall said. "I'm just really proud of the team for pushing into the last minute." New York hosts Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC in the U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday before a league trip to CF Montréal on April 18.

Closing Take

Messi's teams have spent years ruining other people's nights. On Saturday, two teenagers returned the favor, and they did it in the greatest player's own backyard. Bradley summed it up simply: "I'm really proud of our team, really, really proud of the players." If this is what the Red Bulls' youth movement looks like in April, the rest of the league should take notes.

Stats from ESPN's match data and the AP recap via ESPN. Postgame quotes and club notes as reported by Red Bull New York (newyorkredbulls.com); additional details from MLS (mlssoccer.com).