Inter Miami suffered its first defeat since the arrival of the superstar without soccer world champion Lionel Messi. The Major League Soccer (MLS) club lost 2:5 (1:3) at Atlanta United on Saturday (local time), which further reduced their chances of making it into the play-offs. Messi did not play due to muscle fatigue.
Miami is in 14th and second-to-last place in the Eastern Conference with just seven games left. The gap to the first play-off place nine is seven points.
It would have been “reckless to use him in this game,” Inter coach Gerardo Martino said of Messi, who was cheering on his teammates from the bench. The 36-year-old Argentine was missing from his team in the last game.
Since Messi’s debut, Miami has managed eleven wins in twelve games. One game ended in a draw. In addition, David Beckham’s club triumphed in the Leagues Cup, it was the first title in the club’s young history.