Messi Panenka saved as Inter Miami beaten 3-0 by Charlotte FC
Kristijan Kahlina saves Lionel Messi’s audacious penalty attempt as Idan Toklomati scores a hat-trick to hand Charlotte a 3-0 MLS win
Lionel Messi saw an audacious penalty attempt saved as Inter Miami were defeated 3-0 by Charlotte FC in Major League Soccer on Saturday night.
Miami were awarded a spot-kick just after the half-hour mark and Messi stepped up from 12 yards, attempting a Panenka — a chip down the centre intended to catch the goalkeeper off guard. Charlotte goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina remained upright and gathered the effort, keeping the score level, but Charlotte took the lead two minutes later through Idan Toklomati.
Toklomati doubled Charlotte’s advantage early in the second half and completed a hat-trick six minutes from time from the penalty spot after Miami defender Tomás Avilés was sent off with about 11 minutes remaining. The forward’s three-goal performance sealed a 3-0 victory for the hosts at Bank of America Stadium.
Javier Mascherano’s side slipped to their sixth defeat in 26 MLS matches and sit seventh in the Eastern Conference, one point clear of the final automatic playoff position. The result follows Miami’s 3-0 loss to the Seattle Sounders in last month’s Leagues Cup final, a match in which Messi was also unable to influence the scoreline.
Charlotte’s win was decisive and immediate after the turning point of the missed penalty. Match officials awarded Miami the spot-kick following an incident in the box shortly after the half-hour mark; Messi elected to take the kick and opted for the Panenka technique. Kahlina’s composure denied the Argentina captain and the hosts capitalised almost immediately when Toklomati struck.
The second-half goal came soon after play resumed, giving Charlotte a two-goal cushion that allowed them to control the match tempo. Miami were reduced to 10 men late in the contest when Avilés received a red card, and Toklomati converted from the spot to complete his hat-trick and wrap up the scoring.
Mascherano’s side return to Chase Stadium for a midweek meeting with the Sounders on Tuesday, followed by a home fixture against D.C. United four days later. Charlotte’s victory moves them up the Eastern Conference standings and provides a boost as the MLS regular season progresses.