Messi watches from bench as 10-man Miami edge Charlotte / Photo: © GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
Messi watches from bench as 10-man Miami edge Charlotte
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.
D.Cook--TNT
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