Nashville: Argentina icon Lionel Messi missed his third successive penalty as Inter Miami crashed out to a third successive loss against Nashville SC in their Major League Soccer (MLS) on Saturday.
Messi had a chance to level the scores at 1-1 in the third minute, but his penalty shot was saved by Nashville goalie Brian Schwake. Sergio Reguilon did put in an equaliser through a rebound, but it was disallowed for encroachment after a VAR, as per ESPN.
It is the first time that Messi has failed to score on three straight penalty kicks, missing both his attempts for Argentina against Austria in the group stage and against Egypt in the FIFA World Cup. It was also Messi's first penalty miss in MLS since September 13 last year.
Miami did level the scores after Andy Najar's 17th-minute opener at Geodis Park, with Telasco Segovia putting the ball into the net, but a brace from former MLS MVP Hany Mukhtar sealed a win for Nashville.
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Inter Miami is in second place with 39 points and 11 wins in 19 matches, including five draws and three losses. Nashville is at the top with 13 wins, four draws and two losses, giving them 43 points.
Miami had lost its last two matches in the MLS via Leagues Cup to exit the competition before the knockout stage. Both of these losses did not include Messi and Luis Suarez in the starting line-up.
Inter Miami manager Guillermo Hoyos said after the match that the team will continue to look for improvements despite the setback, saying, as quoted by ESPN, "A defeat like this would not stop us; we keep growing. We will rest today and start working toward our goals again tomorrow. You do not lose your objectives just because of one defeat; quite the opposite, we are going to aim higher, keep growing, and continue the development of the squad."
"I am grateful for everything the players did. People might point out the 4-1 loss, but the team endured a huge emotional toll; you have to be out there on the pitch to understand it. So, beyond the unfavourable result, there were very valuable things on display, and that is what really matters to me," he added.
Miami will be aiming to get back to winning when they take on Philadelphia Union on Wednesday away from home.
