PicoBlog

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Lionel Messi had largely been out of this world for Inter Miami with his stellar play this summer, but he came crashing back down to earth on Wednesday.

Inter Miami suffered the first setback of the Messi era earlier this week after settling for a goal-less home draw against Nashville SC. The overall collective display from the South Florida side was about as flat as the scoreline suggested, with few clear chances created as too many players turned in predictable, unimaginative, and underwhelming performances.

Messi was one of the main culprits of that, as the Argentine star made little impact in a rare off-night. Kamal Miller, meanwhile, was the best of the Inter Miami bunch, delivering a stout showing at the back in a game that both hurt the team’s playoff chances and raised questions as to what changes need to be made.

Drake Callender (7) — Alert and sure-handed while being rarely troubled by a Nashville SC side that was content to park the bus.

DeAndre Yedlin (6) — Took care of business on the defensive side, including on one dangerous counter that he raced back to slow down, but was a non-factor in the attack.

Tomas Aviles (7) — Another steady starting appearance in which he demonstrated a good reading of the game, though he was not overly tested defensively.

Kamal Miller (9) — His last-ditch slide on Hany Mukhtar saved a sure goal, and that was just one of several perfectly-timed tackles in a monster defensive showing that protected Inter Miami’s goal as well as Messi’s bodyguard shields the Argentine.

Jordi Alba (5) — Involved in the build-up without having much of an end product, hitting inaccurate passes in addition to some poor decision-making.

Diego Gomez (5.5) — Made solid contributions on both sides of the ball while not hitting any penetrating passes forward.

Sergio Busquets (5.5) — Circulated the ball around well, but was a bit too safe with his passing in a game that was crying out for more imagination, unpredictability, and creativity.

Dixon Arroyo (6) — Fulfilled his defensive function satisfactorily before being sacrificed at halftime in the team’s attempt to get more attacking power on the field.

Lionel Messi (4.5) — Uncharacteristically poor with several of his first touches and passes, but did spray two pinpoint balls from deep that could have resulted in goals.

Josef Martinez (4) — Starved of service up top while also not doing a whole lot to create any chances for himself.

Robert Taylor (4) — Struggled in a return to his natural winger position, failing to put two decent looks on frame while also not offering up much else to the attack.

Facundo Farias (4.5) — Demonstrated a lack of sharpness off the bench despite initially freshening things up with a burst of energy that quickly faded.

Leonardo Campana (4.5) — Was left on an island up top like Martinez before him while still chipping in defensively, primarily on set pieces.

David Ruiz (4.5) — Another subpar substitute showing in which he demonstrated his usual hustle and not much else.

Benjamin Cremaschi (6.5) — Played with the confidence of someone who had just earned his first U.S. men’s national team call-up, as he was more creative with his passing than most teammates while also serving as a ball-winning machine.

Gerardo Martino (4) — Out-coached by Gary Smith for the second straight meeting, with Inter Miami’s starters and subs offering very few ideas for how to break down a compact and committed opponent despite having the bulk of the possession.

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