Lionel Messi watched from the bench as 10-man Inter Miami held on for a 1-0 win over Charlotte FC in Major League Soccer on Sunday.

The Argentine was not used by coach Javier Mascherano in a game where Miami spent much of the game on the back foot after goalkeeper Oscar Ustari was sent off in the 38th minute.

It marked the third straight game that Messi failed to feature for Miami after he did not travel to Houston for last week’s 4-1 win in MLS and then watched the 2-0 victory over Jamaica’s Cavalier in the CONCACAF Champions Cup first-leg game on Thursday.

Mascherano has said he is managing the workload of the 37-year-old World Cup winner and while his absence has been a disappointment for fans, Miami have not paid a price on the field.

Charlotte, coached by Englishman Dean Smith, the former Aston Villa manager, were the better team throughout the encounter but proved unable to convert their plentiful possession into real goal chances.

The visitors offered early indicators of where their threats lay, with Wilfried Zaha, the former Crystal Palace winger, showing flashes of his skill on the left flank while Israeli winger Liel Abada’s pace was evident on the opposite wing.

Miami were creating little, with Ashley Westwood dictating play in the centre of midfield for the North Carolina side, and they found themselves in trouble when Ustari received a straight red after he raced off his line and brought down Zaha.

The teams went in goalless at the break but it took just seconds for Miami to strike after the interval with a delightfully constructed goal.

Tadeo Allende back-heeled to Luis Suarez and the veteran returned the ball with a chip which the Argentine chested down and then buried into the bottom corner.

It was the fourth goal this season, in all competitions for Allende who joined Miami on loan from Spanish club Celta Vigo.

Miami opted to defend their lead, sitting deep and in numbers, frustrating Charlotte who struggled to break through their defence.

Their best chance came in the 65th minute when Zaha whipped in a wicked cross from the left but Patrick Agyemang’s glancing header flashed wide of the post.

The crowd chanted for a Messi cameo, but Mascherano opted for defensive changes as the South Florida side held firm to maintain their unbeaten start to the season.

-AFP

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Lionel Messi said his decision to join Major League Soccer club Inter Miami as a free agent was fuelled by his struggles at Paris St Germain, describing it as a period he “didn’t enjoy”.

The 37-year-old, who won the Ligue 1 title twice and French Super Cup in 2022 during his two-year spell at the capital club, parted ways with the Ligue 1 outfit in 2023.

“Signing for Inter (Miami) was an opportunity because of the way things went in my last years in Paris,” the eight-times Ballon d’Or winner said in an Apple Music interview on Friday.

“It was a decision I had to make because I had to leave Barcelona and I spent two years that I didn’t enjoy.

“I wasn’t happy on a day-to-day basis, with the training sessions, the games, I found it hard to adapt to all that,” the Argentina captain added.

Messi, who won 10 LaLiga titles, four Champions Leagues and three Club World Cups with his boyhood club Barcelona, had to leave in 2021 when they could not make it financially viable to keep him and the forward signed a two-year deal with PSG.

However, after leading Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar in 2022, Messi was caught in a storm when PSG fans turned against him after their poor Champions League campaign that season and he was suspended for an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia, missing a training session as a result.

The Argentine, who joined Inter Miami after reportedly turning down a lucrative contract in Saudi Arabia, said he was determined to succeed and help the American league thrive.

“MLS has matured and continues to grow. I hope it doesn’t stop and other clubs can see the example of Inter Miami and can boost the competition,” he added.

-Reuters

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Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi has been fined an undisclosed amount for grabbing one of New York City FC’s coaching staff on the neck after Saturday’s MLS opener, the league said.

Video footage showed Messi approach the coach and grab the back of his neck, causing him to pull away from the eight-times Ballon d’Or winner after the 2-2 draw in Miami.

The fine was imposed by the MLS’ Disciplinary Committee on Tuesday.

The top-flight North American league also fined Messi’s teammate Luis Suarez on Tuesday for violating the same “face/head/neck of an opponent policy” during halftime, when he pinched the back of Norwegian defender Birk Risa’s neck.

Miami will play Sporting KC later on Tuesday in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.

-Reuters

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