The New York Red Bulls beat Inter Miami 2-0 on Saturday to stay above the playoff line, with Emil Forsberg scoring an insurance goal early in second-half stoppage time.
Lionel Messi came on in the second half but could not rescue Inter Miami.
New York began the day clinging to the ninth and final postseason spot in the Eastern Conference. They took the lead in the 7th minute through an own goal by Inter Miami midfielder Casemiro.
The Red Bulls did not go two goals clear until Forsberg scored in the first minute of stoppage time. He had come on as a substitute in the 85th minute. It was the forward’s fourth goal, with assists from Cameron Harper, his second, and Ronald Donkor, his career-high 10th.
Ethan Horvath made two saves for the Red Bulls (11-14-6). It was his fifth clean sheet in his first 31 league starts.
Messi did not appear until the 56th minute, when he replaced Riquelme Fillipi. He has 25 goals this season, five more than anyone else entering play. His 15 assists have him tied with Los Angeles FC’s Son Heung-min for the league lead.
Dayne St Clair saved five shots for Inter Miami (15-6-10).
Inter Miami had gone 3-0-1 in their previous four meetings with the Red Bulls, outscoring them 17-6. They had also won their previous three matches this month by a combined 9-1.
Source: prekehmedia.com – LINK
