Messi watches from bench as 10-man Miami narrowly defeat Charlotte

Lionel Messi remained on the bench as 10-man Inter Miami secured a 1-0 victory over Charlotte FC in Major League Soccer on Sunday. The Argentine star was not used by coach Javier Mascherano, who opted to manage Messi’s workload after goalkeeper Oscar Ustari was sent off in the 38th minute, leaving Miami with 10 players for most of the match.

This marked the third consecutive game Messi was unavailable, having missed Miami’s 4-1 win in Houston and the 2-0 win over Jamaica’s Cavalier in the CONCACAF Champions Cup earlier this week. Mascherano cited concerns about Messi’s physical load, despite the team’s success on the field.

Charlotte dominated possession but failed to turn their chances into goals. Early on, Wilfried Zaha and Liel Abada posed threats on the wings, while Ashley Westwood controlled midfield for Charlotte. The turning point came when Ustari received a straight red card for fouling Zaha outside the box. Despite being reduced to 10 men, Miami struck quickly after halftime with a well-executed goal. Tadeo Allende back-heeled the ball to Luis Suarez, who chipped it to Messi’s compatriot, who then finished the move by scoring his fourth goal of the season.

Miami then focused on defending their lead, holding firm against Charlotte’s continued attacks, despite the visitors earning 13 corners. Charlotte’s best chance came in the 65th minute when Zaha’s cross found Patrick Agyemang, but his header missed the target.

With fans hoping for Messi’s involvement, Mascherano opted for defensive substitutions instead, securing Miami’s unbeaten start to the season.

Coach Mascherano explained that the decision to keep Messi on the bench was precautionary, considering his recent absence and the added physical demands. Messi’s absence did not appear to be injury-related, but rather a measure to prevent muscle overload.

Meanwhile, defending champions Los Angeles Galaxy suffered their third consecutive defeat, losing 3-0 at home to St. Louis City. Cedric Teuchert scored the opener for St. Louis before assisting Marcel Hartel for a second goal. Simon Becher added a third after a counter-attack, leaving the Galaxy reeling after a disappointing start to their title defense.