Inter Miami CF head coach Javier Mascherano has praised the team for its "soul" after his players overcame a first-half red card to earn a draw against New York City FC at Chase Stadium on Saturday to kick off the 2025 MLS season.

Tomás Avilés got Miami's season off to the best possible start with his fifth-minute goal, tapping in from Lionel Messi's square pass.

The Herons' first challenge of the night arrived five minutes later, however, when new signing Fafà Picault picked up an injury 10 minutes into game and had to be substituted.

Shortly afterwards, Avilés brought down NYCFC's Alonso Martínez just outside the box and was shown a straight red card.

Mascherano adjusted the line up to continue the match with 10 men, before an injury to Marcelo Weigandt forced Inter Miami to make more tactical changes. NYCFC capitalised on their advantage, with Mitja Ilenic and Martínez scoring either side of half-time to give them a lead that looked like it would hold until the final whistle.

Miami fought back in the dying moments, however, with Messi again providing that pass for Telasco Segovia's equaliser in the tenth minute of stoppage time.

"In the end, the team ends up scoring because it's a team that has soul, that has heart," Mascherano said. "I think we have to stay with that, with the positive. Less than 72 hours ago we played at minus 24 degrees and today they ran like horses. We have to keep jumping through obstacles that we will have on the way.

"But I am one of those who stay with the positive things. And today, beyond the result, which I think was clearly a result that we deserved, or we deserved victory, I stay with a lot of positive things and with the team. The team has soul, the team has life and we are going to fight."

Mascherano revealed Inter Miami requested the match against NYCFC be moved to Sunday to accommodate players after having to face Sporting Kansas City in the Concacaf Champions Cup just 72 hours prior to the season-opener. The league declined the request.

"Tomorrow we will do the most thorough tests to see what Picault and Weigandt have," the Argentine coach said. "This is what happens sometimes when the games move. We had nothing to do with it being less than 20 degrees in Kansas. We asked to play on Sunday, they didn't accept it, we played.

"You play at minus 24 degrees, it's less than 72 hours ago. Then, you travel and you get a three-hour trip. You get there at five in the morning.

"The players are not robots. They are people, they are human beings. And you have to understand that this is about the players. Without players, football doesn't exist. All of us here don't exist without players."

Mascherano added that his former Barcelona teammate and compatriot Messi remains the main man for Miami as they look to better their Supporters' Shield success from 2024.

"Messi is the soul of this team. You saw this on the pitch. He is a kid playing and he doesn't want to lose," Mascherano said. "So for us it's a big big advantage. So we just need to keep him with this spirit. Because it's not just what he does on the pitch.

"It's what he translates to his teammates and all that he does with his 37 years. He's not just playing in attack, he helps us in defense, running the centre-back, running the whole midfield. So he's magnificent."

Inter Miami will now prepare to host Sporting KC on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida for the second leg of the first-round CCC clash.

Miami triumphed 1-0 over Kansas in the first match via a Messi goal.