No win, no goals a first in Messi era

FORT LAUDERDALE — Inter Miami failed to score for the first time since Lionel Messi joined the team, playing a scoreless draw with Nashville on Wednesday night.

Messi failed to convert two free kick attempts in his first Major League Soccer match at home, and it was the first time during his Inter Miami tenure that he was kept off the score sheet.

Inter Miami still earned a point in the standings as it looks to make a late-season playoff push. Miami entered the game 11 points shy of the MLS playoff line and needing to move up from 14th to ninth place to make the playoffs with 11 regular-season matches left.

Miami had won its previous nine matches as Messi’s addition gave the team an immediate boost. He has scored 11 goals, including three multi-goal performances.

Inter Miami coach Tata Martino said despite its success, the team is still gelling after undergoing so many changes over the past two months. Miami hired Martino in June, weeks after firing Phil Neville. Miami had the worst record of the 15 Eastern Conference teams at the time, but with Messi won all seven of its Leagues Cup matches and its U.S. Open Cup semifinal match. Since Messi’s arrival, the club also signed his former Barcelona teammates, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.

“We really haven’t had a full week working with this team,” Martino said. “Even with the evolution of this team through Leagues Cup and Open Cup, the fact that we play every four days hasn’t allowed us the enough time, the necessary time, to train and continue building this group. But what we’ve been able to do is correct through videos and see the improvements through the games.”

Messi started the game Wednesday along with Busquets after the two entered Miami’s previous match against the New York Red Bulls in the 60th minute.

Miami had no shots on goal Wednesday through the first 60 minutes as the team struggled to break through Nashville’s defense.