Inter Miami, where Lionel Messi was rested, suffered a crushing loss to Atlanta United.
Miami, which played the 2023 Major League Soccer (MLS) at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, USA, lost 2-5 to Atlanta on the 17th (Korean time).
Messi’s absence was expected. Messi was excluded from the list during the international match against Bolivia. At the time, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said that Messi complained of fatigue, saying, “Messi said a few days ago that he was tired, and he asked to sit on the bench.”
It was a schedule that desperately needed rest. Messi played in 12 games, starting as a substitute in the U.S.-Mexico League Cup (League Cup) against Cruz Azul on July 22 and ending with the last match against Ecuador. Of these, 10 were starting appearances, and he played in both the League Cup final against Nashville and the US Open Cup semifinals against Cincinnati, all the way to overtime.메이저사이트
So Miami also gave Messi a break. Miami coach Gerardo said in a press conference before the game, “Messi is fine,” but added, “We will manage Messi because there are many important games in a short period of time,” making it clear that Messi was left out of the squad for simple rest.
He went on to say, “You have to get used to a period where there are a lot of games. It’s difficult to play 90 minutes per game, home and away, every 2 or 3 days,” and remained silent when asked whether he would give Messi more rest.
Miami, without Messi, lost after 13 games. They took the lead with Leonardo Campana’s sensational first goal in the 25th minute of the first half, but collapsed after allowing three goals in the first half alone. Tristan Muyumba and Brooks Lennon scored, while Kamal Miller scored an unfortunate own goal.
The same trend continued in the second half. Campana kept the spark of hope alive by scoring a penalty kick, but Atlanta’s Yorgos Yacoumakis and Tyler Wolf gave up goals in a row, falling helplessly to 2-5.
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