Casemiro's Inter Miami home debut turned into a personal nightmare when the former Manchester United midfielder scored an own goal in the 34th minute against Columbus Crew.
The Brazilian played a wayward pass toward the opposition and then, trying to intercept a cross, diverted the ball past his own goalkeeper. The error cancelled out Luis Suarez's 16th-minute opener and drew Columbus level.
Inter Miami restored lead before late drama
Inter Miami regained the lead before the interval when Noah Allen found the net in the fifth minute of first-half added time. Brais Mendez then struck in the 84th minute to earn Columbus a share of the spoils.
Despite his blunder, Casemiro completed the full 90 minutes for the second consecutive match. His first start for the club brought a 1-0 victory over Montreal that was overshadowed by a serious injury to new team-mate German Berterame.
Casemiro's move from Manchester United
The 34-year-old left Manchester United at the end of the season when his contract expired. He had produced an impressive final campaign with United and revealed his intention to move on at the start of the year.
Casemiro represented Brazil at the World Cup, with his new club announced after the national team's last-16 elimination. He signed a one-year contract with an option to extend his stay until 2029.
Messi dream and MLS transfer review
Speaking earlier in the week, Casemiro said he had dreamed of playing alongside Lionel Messi, who came off the substitutes' bench against Columbus.
"The amount of trouble Messi gave me. of course, I dreamed of playing with him," Casemiro said. "I always wanted to play with the best. I could never stop him, I always needed the help of my teammates."
"I am very happy to be alongside him now and I want to continue winning titles with him. I want to enjoy being alongside him, help him and make him even greater. He is one of the gods of football, if not the God of football himself, and I want to help."
Casemiro's move has also drawn scrutiny from Major League Soccer. The league confirmed it was examining the transfer after Inter Miami reached an agreement with LA Galaxy for the rights to sign him.
"The league is gathering all relevant information and will refrain from further comment until the review is complete," the MLS said. "While Inter Miami CF and the LA Galaxy have reached a settlement for the discovery priority [first rights] to sign Casemiro, the terms will be released upon conclusion of the tampering investigation."
