Lionel Messi’s first MLS season will not end with a fairytale finish, as his Inter Miami team was knocked out of playoff contention after a 1-0 loss to FC Cincinnati on Saturday.
DC United also missed the playoffs and immediately announced that their English manager, Wayne Rooney, was leaving by mutual agreement.
Lionel Messi returned from injury as a substitute in the 55th minute, but his team, Inter Miami, lost 1-0 to FC Cincinnati, who secured the top seed in the playoffs. Messi had two free-kick opportunities in his shooting range, but both shots missed the target.
“I could see that he was lacking football (game time),” said Miami head coach Gerardo Martino.
“The injury is fine, he doesn’t have any problems, but (his performance was) logical because in recent times he has played very little and it could happen that he is lacking in rhythm, which is also why he only played 32 or 33 minutes,” he added.
Other results went against Miami, and Messi’s team was left near the bottom of the Eastern Conference, seven points out of the last playoff spot with only two games remaining.
Messi had played just 37 minutes for his club since September 3, having returned with an injury from international duty with Argentina.
Without Messi, Miami struggled, paying the price for their successful run to the Leagues Cup title in August, when Messi led the team to victory and collected his first trophy since joining the club in July.
On Saturday, Inter Miami lost 1-0 to FC Cincinnati, their second straight loss after a 4-1 defeat to Chicago on Wednesday. This means that Miami has only won one of their last six MLS games.
Lionel Messi played in the only win of that stretch, but he was taken off in the first half of their 4-0 victory over bottom-club Toronto.
After winning the Leagues Cup in Nashville on August 19, there was talk of Miami adding two more trophies to their cabinet this season. However, without Messi, they lost the US Open Cup final to Houston and have now faded out of contention for the MLS playoffs.
“Honestly, I expected the season to be exactly the opposite of what happened,” said Martino, who took over just before Messi’s arrival.
“My expectations were to put the group together, shape it football-wise, not transcend too much in the Leagues Cup, compete well in the Cup (US Open Cup), and qualify for the playoffs, but it was exactly the opposite as it usually happens when a coach thinks something,” he said.
“Out of three possible tournaments we have won one, it is a very important fact for us because the league has 28 other teams. Houston and we won, whoever wins the league will be the third winner and there will be 25 others who will not have won. From that point of view, we’re happy,” he said.
Miami’s last two matches are against Charlotte, with the final one being an away game on October 21. It’s yet to be determined whether Messi, who has been summoned for Argentina’s forthcoming World Cup qualifiers, will participate.