FORT LAUDERDALE, United States, 10 March 2025 (BSS/AFP) – Lionel Messi remained an unused substitute as a 10-man Inter Miami battled to a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Charlotte FC in Major League Soccer on Sunday.
The Argentine forward, who has now missed three consecutive matches for Miami, watched on as his side defended resolutely following the 38th-minute dismissal of goalkeeper Oscar Ustari. Head coach Javier Mascherano opted against bringing Messi on, citing the need to carefully manage the workload of the 37-year-old World Cup winner.
Miami had already played without Messi in their 4-1 win over Houston last week and their 2-0 triumph over Jamaica’s Cavalier in the CONCACAF Champions Cup first-leg tie on Thursday. Despite his absence, the Florida-based club continued their strong start to the season.
Charlotte, managed by former Aston Villa boss Dean Smith, were dominant in possession but struggled to turn their control into clear-cut opportunities. The visitors’ attacking threats came largely from Wilfried Zaha, who impressed on the left wing, and Israeli winger Liel Abada, whose pace troubled Miami’s defence.
The match took a dramatic turn when Ustari was shown a straight red card for charging out of his area and bringing down Zaha. With Miami reduced to 10 men, the hosts had to adopt a more defensive approach.
However, they stunned Charlotte immediately after the restart with a moment of brilliance. Tadeo Allende executed a clever back-heel to Luis Suárez, who returned the ball with a delicate chip. The Argentine midfielder controlled the pass on his chest before drilling a clinical finish into the bottom corner. It was Allende’s fourth goal of the season in all competitions, having joined Miami on loan from Spanish side Celta Vigo.
Miami then sat deep, defending their lead with discipline. Charlotte forced 13 corners but failed to capitalise, their best chance coming in the 65th minute when Zaha delivered a teasing cross, only for Patrick Agyemang’s header to drift narrowly wide.
With the crowd chanting for Messi to make an appearance, Mascherano opted for defensive reinforcements instead. The Miami coach later explained his decision:
“In Leo’s case, we had planned to give him minutes, but after we went down to 10 men, we thought it was best not to take any risks given that he has been out for a while.”
While there has been no official confirmation of any injury, medical staff are understood to be concerned about potential muscle overload from the intensity of the early season.
Charlotte boss Dean Smith rued his team’s lapse in concentration at the start of the second half.
“The only reason we come away with nothing today is because we conceded a really poor goal straight from kick-off. I thought we were the better team,” Smith said.
Meanwhile, reigning MLS champions LA Galaxy endured their worst-ever start to a title defence, suffering their third straight defeat with a 3-0 home loss to St. Louis City.
German forward Cedric Teuchert gave the visitors the lead just before half-time, capitalising on a mistake from Galaxy goalkeeper Novak Micovic. Teuchert then set up compatriot Marcel Hartel for a second goal early in the second half, before American Simon Becher sealed the victory with a clinical counter-attack.
The defeat leaves Galaxy as the first team in MLS history to begin their title defence with three consecutive losses.
