Recently, Inter Miami and Atlanta United were held to a 2-2 draw away from home. Why wasn’t Lionel Messi the match’s first player?
Not surprise, Inter Miami is enjoying a fantastic MLS season. They have only lost four games, drawn six, and won 19 to lead the Eastern Conference.
They were supposed to reach 20 wins last night, but instead they reached six draws. The Herons were unable to outsmart a faltering Atlanta team, which was a disheartening outcome.
Undoubtedly, Atlanta supporters would have been pleased to defeat the club atop the standings, but to what extent can they attribute their happiness to Lionel Messi’s decision to not open the scoring?
In the Inter Miami draw against Atlanta United, why was Lionel Messi benched?
For no other reason than to take a quick break, Lionel Messi was sitting on the bench for Inter Miami’s match against Atlanta United. Lionel Messi was just rested because he was getting older; he wasn’t hurt.
Moreover, Atlanta United is notorious for having a rough field. Lionel Messi is not accustomed to this type of playing surface from his time spent in Europe. Therefore, Inter Miami was using Messi sparingly in order to prevent injury to their important player.
In the 61st minute, Lionel Messi made his debut in the game, and later on, Jordi Alba and Luis Suarez, two of his former Barcelona colleagues, joined him.
Lionel Messi delivered some amazing touches, as was to be anticipated. He played for thirty minutes, and even though he nearly dazzling the Atlanta defense, he was unable to discover the key to the goal.
Inter Miami’s loss from last night wasn’t that bad. They paid a price for resting important players, but they won’t regret it. Ultimately, they remain at the summit of the Eastern Conference, comfortably leading FC Cincinnati by eight points.
