Lionel Messi remained an unused substitute as 10-man Inter Miami held on for a 1-0 victory over Charlotte FC in Major League Soccer on Sunday.
The Argentine superstar, sidelined for the third straight match, watched as Luis Suárez and Tadeo Allende combined for a brilliantly crafted goal that proved to be the winner.
Despite being down to 10 men after goalkeeper Oscar Ustari’s red card in the 38th minute, Miami defended resolutely to maintain their unbeaten start to the season.
Miami coach Javier Mascherano later revealed that Messi was originally slated to play, but the decision to keep him on the bench was made after Ustari’s red card.
“We had planned to give him some minutes, but with us going a man down and him being out for some time, we didn’t want to take any risks,” Mascherano said, without elaborating on what risk he was referring to. Medical staff reportedly remain cautious about Messi’s muscle load given the intense start to the season.
Charlotte dominated possession but failed to convert their advantage into clear-cut chances. Wilfried Zaha and Liel Abada caused problems on the flanks, but Miami’s deep defensive setup frustrated the visitors. Ashley Westwood controlled midfield for Charlotte, but his side struggled to find a way past the resilient Miami defence.
The game’s only goal came seconds into the second half, with Tadeo Allende finishing a slick one-two with Suárez.
Charlotte’s best chance came in the 65th minute, when Patrick Agyemang’s glancing header from a Zaha cross went just wide.
With Miami clinging to their lead, the crowd chanted for Messi, but Mascherano opted for defensive reinforcements to see out the match.
Elsewhere, defending champions LA Galaxy suffered a third straight defeat, losing 3-0 at home to St. Louis City. Cedric Teuchert capitalised on a goalkeeping error to give St. Louis the lead before halftime.
Teuchert then assisted Marcel Hartel for a second goal early in the second half. After Gabriel Pec missed a golden chance, Simon Becher sealed the win with a swift counter-attack.
Galaxy now hold the unwanted record of being the first MLS champions to begin their title defence with three consecutive losses.
