Lionel Messi came close to scoring twice, but Inter Miami and Egypt’s Al Ahly had to settle for a 0-0 draw in the opening match of the Club World Cup on Saturday night at Hard Rock Stadium.
Messi nearly won it for Miami in the 96th minute with a curling shot from the right, but Al Ahly goalkeeper Mohamed Elshenawy tipped it onto the crossbar. Earlier, in the 60th minute, the Argentine star clipped the outside of the post with a free kick.
Al Ahly dominated much of the first half, but Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari kept the match level. The 38-year-old veteran saved a 43rd-minute penalty from Trezeguet and quickly denied the rebound effort in a standout double save.
Despite the draw, Miami finished stronger in the second half and will take confidence from a more composed performance after halftime.
The result leaves both teams with work to do in Group A, which also includes Brazilian champions Palmeiras and Portugal’s FC Porto. The top two teams will advance to the round of 16.
What they said:
“It was a good party for football. It’s a new competition and the chance to play teams we don’t play normally in our league, so it can be very good for us. You can prove what we can do,” said Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano.
“I’m disappointed with the result. We could have taken all three points. We respect Inter Miami and their big-name players, but we could’ve finished the game in the first half by scoring three or four goals,” said Al Ahly forward Wessam Abou Ali.
