Lionel Messi's debut season in Major League Soccer ended after Inter Miami team was eliminated from postseason contention after losing to FC Cincinnati.
Messi returned from injury as a substitute in the 55th minute, but Cincinnati, who secured the top seed in the playoffs, won thanks to Argentine Alvaro Barreal's goal.
Lionel Messi's debut season in Major League Soccer ended after Inter Miami team was eliminated from postseason contention after losing to FC Cincinnati.
"I could see that he was lacking in football, " Miami head coach Gerardo Martino observed.
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"The injury is fine, he doesn't have any problems, but (his performance was) logical because in recent times he has played very little and it could happen that he is lacking in rhythm, which is also why he only played 32 or 33 minutes," the coach said.
Messi's team was relegated to the bottom of the Eastern Conference, seven points out of the final playoff berth with only two games left.
Messi had played just 37 minutes for his club since September 3, after returning from international duty with Argentina last month with an injury.
Miami struggled without him, paying the price for their brilliant League Cup run in August when Messi lit up the tournament and claimed his first trophy since joining the team in July.
Miami's loss on Saturday was their second straight after a 4-1 thrashing in Chicago on Wednesday, and Martino's club has only won one of their last six MLS games.
Messi had come off in the first half of a 4-0 triumph over Toronto, their sole win in that stretch.
After winning the League Cup in Nashville on August 19, there was speculation of Miami winning two more trophies this season.
