Here’s What It Was Like Inside Nu Stadium on Opening Day

Thousands of jubilant fans clad in flamingo-pink conjured a party atmosphere at Nu Stadium more than three hours prior to kickoff Saturday night at the grand opening of Inter Miami CF’s new stadium.

After more than two years of construction, Inter Miami’s $350 million Nu Stadium opened Saturday as the first new professional stadium in South Florida since Marlins Park opened in 2012; it replaces Chase Stadium as Inter Miami’s home base — the team played its first six seasons and won its first MLS Cup at the Fort Lauderdale venue. And despite having to navigate the nearby airport traffic and the still under-construction Miami Freedom Park development, of which the stadium is just one part, fans who spoke to New Times before and after the game were in a jovial mood.

The standing-only section (a trademark of soccer stadiums around the world and the equivalent of a college football student section) was filled with pink-and-black flags, drums, and brass instruments, which played so loudly it was impossible to hear the referee’s whistle. Inter Miami die-hards serenaded the team for the first 10 minutes of the game.

“La Famila Section,” as it’s called, reached a crescendo in the 10th minute, when Lionel Messi bagged the team’s first goal in their new stadium. Unfortunately for the home side, it wasn’t the first goal in stadium history — away side Austin F.C. claimed that milestone minutes earlier. But the embarrassing moment wasn’t enough to dampen La Familia’s voices, which gave the stadium an atmosphere akin to the great European or South American cathedrals of the beautiful game.

“13 years ago, we didn’t have a name, a crest, or a home,” team co-owner Sir David Beckham said to the crowd before the match began, recalling Inter Miami’s inception. “Thank you to our fans. You are home, la familia. Without you, we are nothing, and we couldn’t be happier to welcome you home.”

Beckham strode onto the field before the first whistle in his red bottoms and a sharp suit adorned with the Inter Miami crest. The crowd cheered just about as loudly for the retired soccer legend as they did for the active legend Messi.

The 26,700-seater stadium (which was nearly full for the opening match) anchors work-in-progress Miami Freedom Park, a $1.3 billion, 131-acre development that will include more than 1 million square feet of retail, dining, entertainment, and office space surrounding the stadium.

The planned park presently sits as a labyrinth of dust-coated concrete and construction equipment for fans to navigate. Several fans told New Times they simply didn’t care about the unfinished development; they were just excited to be there. And thankfully for the 20,000-plus fans (and this reporter), an army of stadium staff orbited the venue to usher everyone to their seats.

Driving to the stadium was a maze of its own, with orange cones woven through the construction site like a parking lot set up for driver’s license testing. There was thankfully no shortage of high-vis-vested staff to guide drivers through the chaos.

Several thousand fans were already in their seats hours before the match started at 8 p.m.; a smart move considering entry lines were reportedly backed up for an hour just ahead of kick-off.

As for the actual game, Inter Miami seemed to get off to lethargic starts in the first and second halves, conceding in the sixth minute of the game and again seven minutes into the second half. The home side did grow into the game, however, and went on to control long spells while creating several chances to score. Messi (38) and Luis Suarez (39) ran back the clock to their F.C. Barcelona days with a goal apiece, ultimately helping the team salvage a draw from the jaws of defeat with the game ending 2-2.

Photos: Inside Miami Freedom Park on Opening Day