In the 36th minute of the match, Inter Miami’s Argentine goalkeeper saw red and had to leave the field. However, thanks to a goal from their in-form Argentine winger, Miami still managed to secure victory.
After missing two games, Lionel Messi’s name was back in the squad. Though he wasn’t in the starting lineup, he was on the bench, ready to be called upon at any moment. But that moment never came. Once again, the Argentine superstar remained on the sidelines. Despite his absence, Miami still found a way to win. In a game where their Argentine goalkeeper was sent off, their Argentine winger delivered the decisive goal.
In a Major League Soccer (MLS) clash on Monday morning (Bangladesh time), Inter Miami defeated Charlotte FC 1-0.
Miami’s first-choice goalkeeper, Drake Callender, has been sidelined with an injury for some time, leaving Oscar Ustari to step in. However, in the 38th minute, Ustari was shown a straight red card, forcing Miami to bring on their third-choice goalkeeper, Rocco Ríos Novo.
With this, Miami became the first MLS team since New York City FC in 2021 to receive a red card in three consecutive matches.
But once again, a man in top form came to Miami’s rescue. Just after halftime, Tadeo Allende found the net. The Argentine winger, who joined Miami on loan from Celta Vigo about two months ago, has now scored in four consecutive matches.
Despite being a man down, Miami’s defense held firm, ensuring that Allende’s goal was enough for the win.
With two wins and a draw in three matches, Miami sits second in the Eastern Conference with seven points. Across all competitions this year, the team remains unbeaten in six matches.
Messi last played on February 26. After featuring in three games within a week, he has now missed three straight matches due to muscle fatigue. Before this game, coach Javier Mascherano had said, “Leo (Messi) is feeling much better now. We’re hopeful that if everything goes well, he could be included in the squad.”
However, Messi wasn’t just left out of the lineup—he didn’t make it onto the field at all.
