Inter Miami open with scoreless draw against Chicago Fire

Updated: May 17, 2023, 04:59 am

Gabriel Slonina made four saves to help the Chicago Fire earn a 0-0 draw against Inter Miami CF on Saturday in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in the Major League Soccer season opener for both teams.

After finishing with four shutouts in 11 appearances last season, Slonina notched another by making a pair of timely saves late in the second half.

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In the 87th minute, Slonina made a diving stop near the bottom right corner of the net on Ariel Lassiter's left-footed shot. After Inter Miami retained possession on a corner kick, Slonina stopped Jean Mota's left-footed shot a minute later

Inter Miami retained possession after Mota nearly scored, but Lassiter missed a left-footed shot from outside the box when the ball sailed to the right.

Slonina's latest shutout occurred in the debut of ballyhooed transfer Xherdan Shaqiri, whom the Fire spent a team-record $7.5 million to import. Shaqiri took two shots as Chicago fell to 0-8-5 in its past 13 season openers despite holding possession for 59.2 percent of the match.

Inter Miami began its third season by getting three saves from goalkeeper Clement Diop, who signed a one-year contract after parting ways with CF Montreal last August.

The Fire had the bulk of the chances in the first half, including in the opening minute when Kacper Przybylko missed the net. Shaqiri's chance to make an impact occurred in the 35th minute, but Diop used his left hand to stop the left-footed shot. The half ended with Chicago's Gaston Gimenez hitting the post and Diop making a diving stop on Stanislav Ivanov.

Miami missed several chances in the early and middle portions of the second half as Damion Lowe and Leonardo Campana missed the net in the 57th and 58th minute. In the 68th minute, Jairo Quinteros missed the net on a header, and Lassiter's header sailed to the left 11 minutes later.