Red Bulls Playoff Push Goes On vs. Messi and Inter Miami
October 24, 2026 Sports Illustrated Stadium Harrison, NJ
The New York Red Bulls kept their postseason ambitions alive on Saturday afternoon, taking advantage of an early error and a late insurance goal to secure a vital 2-0 victory over Inter Miami CF at Sports Illustrated Stadium.
The high-stakes Eastern Conference clash saw Michael Bradley’s squad snap Inter Miami's three-game winning streak. In doing so, the Red Bulls successfully climbed back above the playoff line into eighth place with only three matches remaining in the Major League Soccer regular season.
The match got off to a turbulent start for the visitors in the seventh minute. Red Bulls forward Cade Cowell drove deep down the flank and delivered a dangerous, low cross into the box. Under heavy pressure from teenage striker Julian Hall, Inter Miami's veteran midfielder Casemiro inadvertently directed the ball into his own net, gifting New York an early 1-0 lead.
Despite Inter Miami commanding the lion's share of the ball with 62.5% possession, Cristian "Kily" González’s side struggled significantly to bypass the Red Bulls' aggressive defensive structure. Turnovers in the midfield plagued the visitors, leaving frontline stars Luis Suárez and Germán Berterame isolated and limited to just two total shots on target throughout the match. Conversely, New York’s counter-attacking strategy proved lethal, generating 19 total shot attempts.
All eyes were on Lionel Messi, who started the match on the bench after a demanding travel itinerary. The Argentine superstar had flown back from Spain just a day prior after accepting the prestigious Princess of Asturias Award for Sports.
Messi eventually entered the pitch in the 56th minute to roaring chants from a heavily pro-Miami crowd, replacing Riquelme Fillipi. While his introduction injected brief energy into the visitors, he was masterfully marshaled by Red Bulls' standout 17-year-old midfielder Adri Mehmeti. Mehmeti dominated the center of the pitch with 82 touches and 55 accurate passes, forcing Miami's build-up play to remain entirely in front of the Red Bulls' defensive line. For the first time in 14 games for club and country, Messi was held without a goal contribution.
As Inter Miami threw numbers forward in search of a late equalizer, the Red Bulls exploited the exposed space to seal the match in the first minute of stoppage time.
Midfielder Ronald Donkor—recording his career-high 10th assist of the season—and Cameron Harper linked up quickly on a rapid transition to find Emil Forsberg completely unmarked in the center of the box. Having just subbed into the match in the 85th minute, the Swedish international calmly lifted a right-footed shot over Inter Miami goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair to wrap up the 2-0 win. Red Bulls goalkeeper Ethan Horvath went largely untested in the closing minutes, securing his fifth clean sheet of the MLS season.
Ultimately, Red Bulls fans can't assume everything is completely turned around just yet. The team has been a classic up-and-down side all season, following up massive emotional highs with unexpected letdowns. To prove this performance was a true turning point rather than just another brief peak in a volatile year, they need to establish consistency—and everyone will be waiting to see how they handle the pressure in the midweek match.
Red Bull New York 2, Inter Miami CF 0
Scoring Summary:
NY – Casemiro (own goal) 7’
NY– Emil Forsberg 4 (Harper, Donkor) 90’+1’
Misconduct Summary:
NY – Julian Bazán (caution, foul) 80’
MIA– Santiago Morales (caution, foul) 90’+4’
Red Bull New York: Ethan Horvath ; Devin Padelford, Justin Che, Julian Bazan, Dylan Nealis ©, Adri Mehmeti (Emil Forsberg, 85’), Mohammed Sofo (Sekou Koné, 76’), Ronald Donkor, Cade Cowell (Cameron Harper, 63’), Jorge Ruvalcaba (Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, 76’), Julian Hall (Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty, 85’)
Unused Subs: John McCarthy, Matthew Dos Santos, Rafael Mosquera, David Ruiz
Inter Miami CF: Dayne St Clair ; Gonzalo Lujan (Ian Fray, 66’), Casemiro, Micael dos Santos, Sergio Reguilon, Riquelme Fillipi (Lionel Messi, 56’), Rodrigo De Paul, David Ayala (Yannick Bright, 74’), Matias Galarza (Santiago Morales, 66’), Germán Berterame (Telasco Segovia, 74’), Luis Suarez ©
Unused Subs: Rocco Rios-Novo, Facundo Mura, Daniel Pinter, Alex Shaw
Match Statistics:
Possession: (NY) 37% (MIA) 63%
Total Shots: (NY) 19 (MIA) 13
Shots on Goal: (NY) 7 (MIA) 2
Fouls: (NY) 14 (MIA) 5
Corner Kicks: (NY) 3 (MIA) 2
Saves: (NY) 2 (MIA) 6
Attendance: 26,287
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