Lionel Messi saw his impressive streak of goal contributions come to an end after a substitute appearance in Inter Miami's 2-0 defeat to Red Bull New York. Manager Kily Gonzalez revealed the Argentine was benched as a precaution following a hectic travel schedule to Spain.
Messi benched as Miami momentum halts
Messi saw his impressive individual run come to an abrupt end as Inter Miami suffered a 2-0 defeat away to Red Bull New York on Saturday. The result also shattered the club's three-game winning streak. The Argentine forward was surprisingly named among the substitutes for the fixture. He was introduced early in the second half but failed to inspire a comeback for the visitors.
It marked the first time in 13 consecutive matches for club and country that Messi failed to register a goal contribution. Inter Miami ultimately lacked their usual attacking spark during a frustrating evening.
Gruelling travel schedule forces precautionary rest
Inter Miami manager Gonzalez explained that the decision to bench their talisman was planned in advance. Messi had travelled to Oviedo, Spain, on Thursday to receive the prestigious Princess of Asturias award for Sports. The long-distance journey and quick turnaround prompted the coaching staff to manage his workload carefully. Gonzalez stressed that the move was purely precautionary to protect his star player ahead of a busy fixture list.
"This was something that had already been agreed upon," Gonzalez said, as quoted by ESPN. "Obviously, he's been through quite a journey, time zone changes, temperature shifts, and a whole host of other factors.
"We were fully aware of all of this, and we reached an agreement that this was the best approach to ensure he didn't suffer any issues, specifically to avoid any injuries considering we have another match this Wednesday. The goal was for him to recover and get some minutes under his belt today; as always, he performed well."
Gonzalez blasts poor midfield performance
Without their captain starting the match, Inter Miami struggled to control the tempo. Gonzalez was highly critical of his team's ball retention and failure to execute their game plan from deep positions.
"We had far too many turnovers in midfield, played too many passes while facing our own goal, and struggled to build play from deep," the manager added. "I have to take responsibility for this.
"As I told the lads at halftime, we needed to turn things around; we improved a little, though I'm certainly not satisfied and neither are the players. But it's a useful lesson, a reminder that you can't afford to get complacent, a hit to the face. We can't relax."
Focus shifts to upcoming Cincinnati clash
Despite the disappointing result, Inter Miami remain in a strong position in the Eastern Conference standings, sitting in third place with 55 points. They will now look to quickly bounce back from this setback. Inter Miami will next host FC Cincinnati on Thursday. The squad must rediscover their attacking rhythm and tighten up their midfield passing to secure a crucial home victory.