NewzLionel Messi of Inter Miami reacts after missing a penalty during the Major League Soccer match between Nashville and Inter Miami in Nashville. (AFP pic)WASHINGTON: Lionel Messi missed yet another penalty and was booked as Inter Miami suffered a 4-1 loss at Nashville on Saturday in a top-of-the-table Major League Soccer (MLS) clash.England's Sam Surridge and Germany's Hany Mukhtar scored second-half goals for the hosts in a showdown between the MLS overall leaders.Argentina and Miami captain Messi was denied from the penalty spot in the first half and issued a yellow card in the 59th minute but also assisted Inter's lone goal.Messi struck both posts in second-half stoppage time.Nashville leads MLS with 43 points and a record of 13-2 with four drawn while Inter Miami are second on 38 points.Nashville had already knocked Miami out of this year's CONCACAF Champions Cup in the round of 16.Defending MLS champion Miami, which had been a league-best 8-1-1 on the road, saw a seven-match undefeated MLS run snapped as Nashville remained unbeaten at home in the MLS campaign.Honduran defender Andy Najar scored with a header in the 17th minute to give Nashville a 1-0 lead.Miami had a chance to equalise with a Messi penalty kick in the 23rd minute but Nashville goalkeeper Brian Schwake saved his weak effort.Messi's record from the penalty spot is poor by his sky-high standards, including missing twice at the World Cup.The visitors netted the equaliser three minutes into first-half stoppage time when Venezuelan Telasco Segovia blasted in a right-footed shot off an assist by Messi.Mukhtar, the 2022 MLS Most Valuable Player, put Nashville back in front in the 49th minute.Surridge gave Nashville a 3-1 lead and Mukhtar added his second in the 63rd for extra insurance as the hosts pulled away. (AP) — Hany Mukhtar scored a pair of second-half goals and Nashville SC beat Lionel Messi and Inter Miami 4-1 on Saturday night in a match featuring the top two teams in the Eastern Conference to remain atop the MLS standings.
Messi started his first game since the death of his father, Jorge, on Aug. He played in the second half of Inter Miami’s 3-2 loss to Club León on Aug. The Inter Miami captain had a major scoring chance in the 23rd minute, but his penalty kick was saved by Nashville goalkeeper Brian Schwake.
The rebound was put into the net by Sergio Reguilón, but the goal was disallowed after it was determined that Reguilón had entered the penalty area early. Andy Najar scored his first goal of the season, heading in a pass from Elias Saad along the left post in the 16th minute. Inter Miami evened the game in the 48th minute off a spin-move goal from Telasco Segovia.
Mukhtar scored in the 48th minute off a pass from Saad. Sam Surridge followed eight minutes later, netting his team’s leading 12th goal of the season, scoring off his back heel and putting Nashville up 3-1. In the 62nd minute, Miami goalkeeper Rocco Rios-Novo misread a goal kick from Schwake and fell over, which allowed Mukhtar to gain control of the loose ball and extend Nashville’s lead to 4-1.
The result was just Nashville’s second win over Inter Miami since Messi had joined. Up next Nashville travels to Red Bull New York on Wednesday. Inter Miami travels to the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday.
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