Overview
- Saturday night at Geodis Park Nashville beat Inter Miami 4-1, with Hany Mukhtar scoring twice and Sam Surridge adding a goal to secure a decisive second-half win.
- Lionel Messi started his first match since his father Jorge’s death on Aug. 8, had a first-half penalty saved by Brian Schwake, and saw Sergio Reguilón’s rebound disallowed for encroachment.
- Messi provided the assist for Telasco Segovia’s equaliser, received a yellow card for protesting a decision, and later struck the woodwork before a goal was ruled out for offside.
- A misread goal kick by Inter Miami goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo allowed Mukhtar to finish into an empty net and helped pull Nashville five points clear at the top of the Eastern Conference.
- Inter Miami are managing Messi’s emotional recovery while facing a congested schedule, and Messi’s missed penalty completed a three-match penalty-miss streak that began during the recent World Cup.