Inter Miami scoreless first time in Lionel Messi era, held to 0-0 tie vs. Nashville SC
It finally happened. Lionel Messi proved he is mortal. He failed to score; and Inter Miami did not win for the first time since the Argentine star arrived in early July.
Miami remains unbeaten through his 10 games, but the team’s nine-game win streak ended with a scoreless tie at home against Nashville SC 11 days after Miami beat the same opponent in a Leagues Cup final that came down to a tense marathon penalty kick shootout.
Messi had scored 11 goals through nine games before running into a tenacious Nashville defense that played deep with large numbers and frustrated Miami attackers all night. Miami had no shots on goal through 60 minutes. Messi had a few chances to produce magic with free kicks, but his shots bounced off the wall of defenders.
“They sat back with nine or 10 guys at a time, pretty frustrating, but we have to get used to it,” said Miami defender Kamal Miller, who made a fantastic block to save a sure goal early in the second half. “It’s the first time a team did that to us so blatantly.... That’s probably what most teams are going to do against us now and try to hit us on the counter. We have to come up with more ways as a team to break the opponent down when they’re sitting on the low block and move the ball faster and not just depend on Leo.”
Both teams provided plenty of drama in the final minutes, but neither was able to find the back of the net. Miami, desperate for three points as it makes a late season push for a playoff spot, had to settle for one point, which kept them in 14th place, 10 points shy of the ninth-place playoff line.
“We have tunnel vision on our goal, which is making the playoffs, so this feels like a loss, but we’re just going to keep moving forward,” Miller said.
If Nashville players were trying to erase the Leagues Cup final from their memory, Inter Miami made sure it stayed fresh on their minds. The pregame festivities at DRV PNK Stadium on Wednesday included a trophy ceremony during which Inter Miami owners and players hoisted the giant silver cup while fans captured the moment on their cellphones. The crowd included Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Floyd Meriweather and Ken Griffey, Jr.
Messi and Sergio Busquets returned to the starting lineup after resting until the hour mark of the 2-0 road victory against the New York Red Bulls last Saturday. Coach Tata Martinez also started DeAndre Yedlin and Josef Martinez against Nashville after both players came off the bench against New York.
Nashville coach Gary Smith went with a similar defensive game plan to the one he used in the Leagues Cup final, sitting deep, packing the back and hoping for opportunities to score on the counterattack. The visitors kept Messi and his pink-clad teammates at bay for much of the night.
The first half was largely uneventful as Inter Miami players ran into a Nashville wall time and time again, seemingly getting more frustrated with each blocked pass and shot.
“Nashville is a team that defends well, and on this night, they played even deeper than last time,” Martino said. “These types of games happen. I understand everyone’s frustrations. We are frustrated, too. It was a good night to keep gaining in the standings. We got a little too accustomed to titles, finals, winning in New York, but we have to keep going because a lot can still happen.”
The most memorable plays before intermission were a pair of perfect passes from Messi, neither of which resulted in a goal. The first was a long ball to Jordi Alba, the second a lob to Robert Taylor, who couldn’t get off a good shot with his left foot.
Facundo Farias replaced Dixon Arroyo in the Miami midfield in the second half, as all six summer signings were on the field at the same time — Messi, Busquets, Alba, Farias, Diego Gomez and Tomas Aviles.
Nashville brought on defending MLS MVP Hany Mukhtar at halftime after he rested the first half. His impact was felt immediately, as he helped Nashville create several dangerous scoring chances.
Mukhtar right footed a shot in the 46th minute that sailed just above the crossbar.
A few minutes later, Jacob Shaffelburg gathered a Mukhtar pass and left-footed a shot from the center of the box from close range and Inter Miami goalkeeper Drake Callender came up with a massive save. Earlier in the day, Callender, sporting platinum blond hair, was named to the U.S. national team for a pair of upcoming friendlies against Uzbekistan and Oman.
Cremaschi, the 18-year-old U.S.-Argentina dual citizen, was also invited U.S. camp, the first call up to Team USA for the Key Biscayne native.
Mukhtar appeared to give Nashville a 1-0 lead in the 69th minute, scoring an apparent goal, but it was waved off as Fafa Picault was caught offside.
Martino made three substitutions in the 70th minute, bringing in Leo Campana, Cremaschi and David Ruiz to replace Josef Martinez, Taylor and Diego Gomez. The team’s energy picked up and the ball movement improved, but it wasn’t enough.
Nashville was coming off a 4-0 loss to Atlanta United, and coach Gary Smith predicted his team would be highly motivated.
“We did a fabulous job against Miami in the [Leagues Cup] final,” Smith said before the game. “There will be one or two different dynamics and difficulties in Miami itself, but I do think the guys will have an awful lot of confidence from what was achieved in the final. Not just, of course, the result, but I think the way the game was played out … But make no mistake, it will be a very, very difficult test in their own backyard, and we’ll certainly be ready for that, and there’s going to be some, I would hope, some added incentive … after the weekend.”
This story was originally published August 30, 2023 at 11:06 PM.