Lionel Messi sat on the bench as 10-man Inter Miami clung to a 1-0 victory over Charlotte FC in Major League Soccer on Sunday.
The Argentine was not called upon by coach Javier Mascherano in a match where Miami spent much of the game on the back foot after goalkeeper Oscar Ustari was sent off in the 38th minute.
This marked Messi's third consecutive game without playing for Miami after he missed last week's 4-1 win in Houston and was absent during Thursday's 2-0 victory over Jamaica's Cavalier in the CONCACAF Champions Cup first leg.
Mascherano has emphasized that he is managing the workload of the 37-year-old World Cup winner, and although Messi's absence has disappointed fans, Miami has yet to feel the impact on the field.
Charlotte, led by former Aston Villa manager Dean Smith, dominated possession but struggled to create real scoring opportunities.
Early signs of danger came from Wilfried Zaha, the former Crystal Palace winger, who showed glimpses of brilliance on the left, while Israeli winger Liel Abada’s pace was evident on the opposite wing.
Miami created little, with Ashley Westwood dictating play in the center of midfield for the North Carolina side. They found themselves in trouble when Ustari received a straight red card after he raced off his line and brought down Zaha.
The teams went into the break goalless, but it took just seconds for Miami to strike after the interval with a beautifully constructed goal.
Tadeo Allende back-heeled to Luis Suarez, and the veteran returned the ball with a chip that the Argentine chested down before burying it into the bottom corner.
It was Allende's fourth goal of the season in all competitions after joining Miami on loan from Spanish club Celta Vigo.
Miami opted to defend their lead, sitting deep and in numbers, frustrating Charlotte, who struggled to break through their defense despite earning 13 corners.
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 man 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," Mascherano said, without explaining what would be “risked” by Messi.
There has been no clear indication of any injury for Messi, with medical staff understood to be concerned about "overload" on his muscles from the intense start of the season, resulting in the cautious approach from his coach.
Smith was left to reflect on his team's sloppy start to the second half.
"The only reason we come away with nothing today is because we gave a really poor goal away with a lack of concentration straight from the kickoff. It is difficult when I thought we were the better team," he said.
Defending champions Los Angeles Galaxy slumped to their third straight defeat of the season with a 3-0 loss at home to St. Louis City.
German Cedric Teuchert put the visitors ahead, turning the ball home in the 44th minute after Galaxy goalkeeper Novak Micovic dropped a corner.
Teuchert then turned provider, three minutes after the interval, finishing off a break with a perfect pass to compatriot Marcel Hartel, who made it 2-0.
After St. Louis survived some intense Galaxy pressure, with Brazilian Gabriel Pec missing a sitter, American Simon Becher completed the impressive win after another swift counterattack.
The Galaxy are the first team in MLS history to begin their title defense with three straight losses.
