An MLS All-Star scored the first goal in Nu Stadium, but it wasn't Lionel Messi. That set the tone for a quite surprising and entertaining match.
(MIAMI) - On a historic Saturday night in Miami, as reigning champions Inter Miami CF opened Nu Stadium with the fanfare, fireworkds and confetti-cannon-firing you might expect, Austin FC jumped out to an early lead, and despite losing that lead and another they acquired later, held on for a statement 2-2 draw.
All-Star Guilherme Biro (who replaced Inter Miami holdout Jordi Alba in last year's roster) scored the first goal in Nu Stadium history to provide an early shock to the raucous home fans, but Messi answered four minutes later to kickstart a lively match that remained thrilling to the end.
Verde started out with a similar lineup to the one that went toe-to-toe with LAFC its last time, with replacing Jon Bell in the Starting XI.
It appeared that Christian Ramirez earned a penalty kick 40 seconds into the match, when David Ayala clipped his foot inside the box. That didn't meet the test from VAR somehow, but a foul on Uzuni thirty seconds later led to a free kick outside the box. Uzuni took it himself, and his attempt caromed off the post.
Then, in the sixth minute, Austin FC brought its set piece magic on a corner kick, with Facundo Torres delivering a headable ball that Biro met functionally unmarked. He then did the new dad goal celebration to deliver some breaking news.
Four minutes later, though, Messi did what Messi does, working in between Torres and Nico Dubersarsky to head in an Ian Fray cross. Then, two minutes after that, to remind Verde's defense that other players on this team are dangerous, Tadeo Allende got his head on a ball even closer in than Messi did for his goal, skimming it over the bar.
Biro nearly got his second in the 20th minute on another corner won by Verde off a one-touch Torres attempt blocked after Joseph Rosales sent in an incisive pass. Then, a minute after that chance, Uzuni hit a shot from the edge of the box that just arced over the bar.
Mateo Silvetti provided some terror for the Austin defense in the 34th minute, first taking a Messi pass from the endline to his position just outside the 18, ripping a shot that Oleksandr Svatok blocked. Silvetti then hit the rebounded ball back to goal, forcing Brad Stuver into a parrying dive to expel the danger. Three minutes later, Silvetti got another opportunity, which he struck wide of the post.
In the 40th minute, Torres got an opportunity to get Verde back in the league, with the second post strike of the half. That would be his last meaningful action of the match, giving way to Jayden Nelson when the players returned to the field — Miami coming on a good deal later than Austin.
In the 53rd minute, Nelson got his first goal in Verde, and Austin became the first team in Nu Stadium history to score at both ends of the stadium, on a play in which Rosales connected with Uzuni and Uzuni then connected with Nelson.
Messi had a chance at free kick magic in the 59th, curling an attempt from just outside the box millimeters past the post, though Stuver dove well and had a chance at an acrobatic save on a better placed ball.
Nelson tried to return the assisting favor to Uzuni in the 66th minute, getting off a cross to Uzuni in front of goal, but Uzuni was not able to execute the backheel he was striving for.
Nervy moments followed, with Miami pushing forward for the equalizer — bolstered by a subbed-in Germán Bereterame — once Besard Šabović subbed in for Ilie Sánchez and Jon Bell swapped in for Biro. It got even more nervy with Luis Suarez subbing in at the 74-minute mark.
The goal that was coming finally came in the 82nd — about a minute after Rosales came off for Žan Kolmanič, notably — with Suarez getting off an emphatic point-blank, far-post shot on a corner kick, after Berterame redirected the initial ball in.
Then, in the 90th minute, Messi got another free kick opportunity, which hit the crossbar. Suarez headed in the rebound, but it was rightly ruled offside. Despite several more heart-in-mouth moments for the Verde faithful, the defense held, depriving Miami fans of a first home win (for now).
Best Verde moment (that wasn’t a goal)
They would have been cooler had they been fine-tuned a couple of inches inside the post rather than off the post, but clanging woodwork in the second and 40th minute was a good indicator of how attacking Austin started and then remained.
Worst Verde moment (that wasn't a goal allowed)
Non-contact injuries aren't great, and though Torres labored through the rest of the first half after a concerning sitdown around the half-hour mark, he was replaced at halftime by Nelson, learning from the club it's a groin injury. We'll make sure this gets asked about.
One thing you might have missed
Messi and Ilie had a moment — captain to captain and Blaugrana to Blaugrana — in the tunnel that the Apple TV broadcast captured.
One nerdy tidbit
I'm not sure how many times two All-Stars in one season have scored the first 10 minutes of a match involving their respective teams the next season, but I'm going to hazard a guess it's a first in 2026.
Where this fits into the season's narrative
Many — and I'll put my hand up being among them — predicted that home opemer + Miami's talent + Austin's continuing injury woes would all add to a Herons win. Even with only a half of Torres and the penalty kick that wasn't, Verde showed out well and provided evidence — for the second straight match — they can hang with any team in the league.
A question we have going into the press conference
Austin FC head coach Nico Estévez pledged his team would be attacking in this one, and they most certainly were, even though Miami got off considerably more shots. I'll want to delve into this more.
Verde All Day is a reader-supported online publication covering Austin FC. Additional support is provided by Austin Telco Federal Credit Union. For more coverage, check out Emergency Podcast! (an Austin FC Podcast) wherever you get your podcasts.
For this Foreign Exchange, we turned to a reporter who has covered Miami soccer for three decades. Buckle in for a history lesson about the significance of Nu Stadium.
Austin FC fans learned who the team will play and where in two weeks, and then what the Round of 16 holds — either a trip to Houston or hosting a familiar Open Cup foe.
Austin FC will have a role to play in the opening of Inter Miami's spectacular stadium. As many as 500 Verde fans are expected to be witness to its first-ever kickoff.
(MIAMI) - On a historic Saturday night in Miami, as reigning champions Inter Miami CF opened Nu Stadium with the fanfare, fireworkds and confetti-cannon-firing you might expect, Austin FC jumped out to an early lead, and despite losing that lead and another they acquired later, held on for a statement 2-2 draw.
All-Star Guilherme Biro (who replaced Inter Miami holdout Jordi Alba in last year's roster) scored the first goal in Nu Stadium history to provide an early shock to the raucous home fans, but Messi answered four minutes later to kickstart a lively match that remained thrilling to the end.
Verde started out with a similar lineup to the one that went toe-to-toe with LAFC its last time, with replacing Jon Bell in the Starting XI.
It appeared that Christian Ramirez earned a penalty kick 40 seconds into the match, when David Ayala clipped his foot inside the box. That didn't meet the test from VAR somehow, but a foul on Uzuni thirty seconds later led to a free kick outside the box. Uzuni took it himself, and his attempt caromed off the post.
Then, in the sixth minute, Austin FC brought its set piece magic on a corner kick, with Facundo Torres delivering a headable ball that Biro met functionally unmarked. He then did the new dad goal celebration to deliver some breaking news.
Four minutes later, though, Messi did what Messi does, working in between Torres and Nico Dubersarsky to head in an Ian Fray cross. Then, two minutes after that, to remind Verde's defense that other players on this team are dangerous, Tadeo Allende got his head on a ball even closer in than Messi did for his goal, skimming it over the bar.
Biro nearly got his second in the 20th minute on another corner won by Verde off a one-touch Torres attempt blocked after Joseph Rosales sent in an incisive pass. Then, a minute after that chance, Uzuni hit a shot from the edge of the box that just arced over the bar.
Mateo Silvetti provided some terror for the Austin defense in the 34th minute, first taking a Messi pass from the endline to his position just outside the 18, ripping a shot that Oleksandr Svatok blocked. Silvetti then hit the rebounded ball back to goal, forcing Brad Stuver into a parrying dive to expel the danger. Three minutes later, Silvetti got another opportunity, which he struck wide of the post.
In the 40th minute, Torres got an opportunity to get Verde back in the league, with the second post strike of the half. That would be his last meaningful action of the match, giving way to Jayden Nelson when the players returned to the field — Miami coming on a good deal later than Austin.
In the 53rd minute, Nelson got his first goal in Verde, and Austin became the first team in Nu Stadium history to score at both ends of the stadium, on a play in which Rosales connected with Uzuni and Uzuni then connected with Nelson.
Messi had a chance at free kick magic in the 59th, curling an attempt from just outside the box millimeters past the post, though Stuver dove well and had a chance at an acrobatic save on a better placed ball.
Nelson tried to return the assisting favor to Uzuni in the 66th minute, getting off a cross to Uzuni in front of goal, but Uzuni was not able to execute the backheel he was striving for.
Nervy moments followed, with Miami pushing forward for the equalizer — bolstered by a subbed-in Germán Bereterame — once Besard Šabović subbed in for Ilie Sánchez and Jon Bell swapped in for Biro. It got even more nervy with Luis Suarez subbing in at the 74-minute mark.
The goal that was coming finally came in the 82nd — about a minute after Rosales came off for Žan Kolmanič, notably — with Suarez getting off an emphatic point-blank, far-post shot on a corner kick, after Berterame redirected the initial ball in.
Then, in the 90th minute, Messi got another free kick opportunity, which hit the crossbar. Suarez headed in the rebound, but it was rightly ruled offside. Despite several more heart-in-mouth moments for the Verde faithful, the defense held, depriving Miami fans of a first home win (for now).
Best Verde moment (that wasn’t a goal)
They would have been cooler had they been fine-tuned a couple of inches inside the post rather than off the post, but clanging woodwork in the second and 40th minute was a good indicator of how attacking Austin started and then remained.
Worst Verde moment (that wasn't a goal allowed)
Non-contact injuries aren't great, and though Torres labored through the rest of the first half after a concerning sitdown around the half-hour mark, he was replaced at halftime by Nelson, learning from the club it's a groin injury. We'll make sure this gets asked about.
One thing you might have missed
Messi and Ilie had a moment — captain to captain and Blaugrana to Blaugrana — in the tunnel that the Apple TV broadcast captured.
One nerdy tidbit
I'm not sure how many times two All-Stars in one season have scored the first 10 minutes of a match involving their respective teams the next season, but I'm going to hazard a guess it's a first in 2026.
Where this fits into the season's narrative
Many — and I'll put my hand up being among them — predicted that home opemer + Miami's talent + Austin's continuing injury woes would all add to a Herons win. Even with only a half of Torres and the penalty kick that wasn't, Verde showed out well and provided evidence — for the second straight match — they can hang with any team in the league.
A question we have going into the press conference
Austin FC head coach Nico Estévez pledged his team would be attacking in this one, and they most certainly were, even though Miami got off considerably more shots. I'll want to delve into this more.
Verde All Day is a reader-supported online publication covering Austin FC. Additional support is provided by Austin Telco Federal Credit Union. For more coverage, check out Emergency Podcast! (an Austin FC Podcast) wherever you get your podcasts.
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