El Salvador – Inter Miami summary: score, goals, highlights | MLS friendly

Inter Miami’s much-publicized preseason tour got off to a surprisingly low-key start, a scoreless draw against El Salvador on Friday evening. 

Tata Martino caused a stir by starting all four ex-Barcelona players, reuniting Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez in a two-man attack. There were some glimpses of quality in the first half, most notably a sharp interchange between Messi and Sergio Busquets that fashioned the best chance of the game, but El Salvador stood firm. 

In fact, the hosts probably had the better of the chances in the first half. They looked to hit Miami on the counter-attack and found joy with a more direct approach. 

Messi, Suárez, Busquets and Jordi Alba were all withdrawn at the break, drawing a chorus of boos from the home crowd. 

The game got a little heated in the second half as Gregore and Darwin Cerén were booked after an altercation in the midfield. Cerén was later involved in the only moment of real controversy, a mistimed challenge that forced Facundo Farias from the field on a stretcher. Inter Miami, having already used all their substitutions, played the final 15 minutes with ten men but the score remained goalless. 

It was not the all-action romp that those at Estadio Cuscatlan were hoping for, but Inter Miami’s 2024 has officially begun.