Lionel Messi’s MLS season ends with Miami loss to Charlotte

After making a comeback to the starting lineup, Lionel Messi was unable to keep his first Major League Soccer season from finishing in defeat as Charlotte FC defeated Inter Miami 1-0 at Bank of America Stadium in front of 66,101 spectators.

For Miami, which was eliminated from the playoffs, Messi was captain, and he played the entire ninety minutes or more of the meaningless game on artificial turf on Saturday. However, the game had a significant impact on Charlotte. The second-year team made it to the MLS playoffs for the first time with a victory and other results.

The solitary goal of the match was scored by Kerwin Vargas in the thirteenth minute, but Miami had multiple opportunities to equalize and destroy Charlotte’s hopes of making the playoffs.
Messi was denied a goal for offside at the beginning of the second half and had a free kick saved onto the post in the 62nd minute. Then, in an exciting finish, Kristijan Kahlina, the goalie for Charlotte, produced many outstanding saves to keep Miami out.

After securing the final playoff slot by finishing ninth in the Eastern Conference, Charlotte will take on the New York Red Bulls in a wild-card game.

With 34 points from 34 games, Miami finished 14th in the Eastern Conference. Prior to Messi, Jordi Alba, and other former Barcelona players Sergio Busquets arriving in July, Miami was 15th and last in the conference. Since Messi joined the squad, the team has had four victories, four defeats, and four draws in the league. Prior to that, the team was winless in its last six league games (three losses and three draws).

Coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino of Inter Miami claimed that his team’s demanding schedule caused fatigue near the end of the season.

Martino added, “We had three tournaments and won one,” via a translator. “The group was worn out. That is not a justification. It is the truth.

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In a 2-2 draw in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Wednesday, Miami and Charlotte also faced off. Messi was not involved in Wednesday’s match, which was Miami’s final MLS home game of the season. On Tuesday, Messi scored both goals for Argentina in their 2-0 victory over Peru in the World Cup qualifying round.