MLS roundup: 10-man Inter Miami win in Messi's absence, LA Galaxy's woes persist

Lionel Messi observed from the sidelines as 10-man Inter Miami secured a 1-0 victory against Charlotte FC in Major League Soccer on Sunday.

The Argentine forward was not utilized by coach Javier Mascherano in a match where Miami found themselves largely on the defensive after goalkeeper Oscar Ustari received a red card in the 38th minute.

This marked the third consecutive match in which Messi did not participate for Miami, following his absence in last week's 4-1 victory in Houston and his watching of the 2-0 win over Jamaica's Cavalier in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup on Thursday.

Mascherano has indicated that he is carefully managing the workload of the 37-year-old World Cup champion. While fans have expressed disappointment over his absence, Miami has not suffered any adverse effects on the pitch.

Charlotte, under the guidance of English coach Dean Smith, formerly of Aston Villa, dominated the match but failed to translate their significant possession into genuine scoring opportunities.

The visitors demonstrated their potential threats early on, with Wilfried Zaha, the ex-Crystal Palace winger, showcasing his skills on the left side, while Israeli winger Liel Abada's speed was apparent on the right.

Miami struggled to create chances, with Ashley Westwood controlling the midfield for the North Carolina team, and they found themselves in a precarious situation when Ustari was shown a straight red card for bringing down Zaha after rushing off his line.

The teams went into halftime without any goals, but Miami struck just seconds into the second half with a beautifully executed goal.

Tadeo Allende back-heeled the ball to Luis Suarez, who then chipped it back to Allende, allowing the Argentine to chest it down and slot it into the bottom corner.

This goal marked Allende's fourth of the season across all competitions since joining Miami on loan from Spanish club Celta Vigo.

Miami chose to defend their lead, adopting a deep and compact formation, which frustrated Charlotte as they struggled to penetrate the defense.

Their best chance came in the 65th minute when Zaha whipped in a wicked cross from the left but Patrick Agyemang's glancing header flashed wide of the post.

The crowd chanted for a Messi cameo, but Mascherano opted for defensive changes as the South Florida side held firm to maintain their unbeaten start to the season.

"Well, the truth is that in the case of Leo, we had thought of giving him minutes at some point in the game, but when we went a men down and with him having been out for so long, we thought it was best to keep him (on the bench) and not take any risks in that case," said Mascherano, who did not explain what would be 'risked' by Messi.

There has been no definitive evidence of any injury concerning Messi; however, medical personnel are reportedly worried about the potential 'overload' on his muscles due to the demanding beginning of the season, which has led to a prudent strategy from his coach.

In Messi's absence, his fellow countryman Allende is rapidly becoming a new favorite among fans, with Mascherano commending him for his goal.

"I think it was all the genius of Tadeo and Luis, the ingenuity that footballers often have and that means in one play they can end up deciding a match," said the former Barcelona and Liverpool midfielder.

The Argentine praised the way his team are coping with a busy start to the season with domestic and CONCACAF duties.

"We showed a lot of team spirit and we need more of that to keep working together, working hard," he said.

"It's not easy, we are playing every three, four days. We are tired, the squad is not too long (deep), we have some injuries, but we keep going forward. In football, we have two ways, excuses or results".

The Los Angeles Galaxy, reigning champions, experienced their third consecutive defeat of the season, suffering a 3-0 loss at home against St. Louis City.

German forward Cedric Teuchert opened the scoring for the visitors in the 44th minute, capitalizing on a dropped corner by Galaxy goalkeeper Novak Micovic.

Teuchert then assisted his teammate, providing a precise pass to fellow German Marcel Hartel just three minutes into the second half, extending the lead to 2-0.

Despite a period of intense pressure from the Galaxy, during which Brazilian Gabriel Pec squandered a clear opportunity, American Simon Becher sealed the convincing victory for St. Louis with a goal following another rapid counter-attack.

The Galaxy have made history as the first team i

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