CNN — Lionel Messi’s Major League Soccer (MLS) season came to an end on Saturday at Bank of America Stadium after a fairytale start to his Inter Miami campaign.
Miami had already missed the playoffs, but Charlotte’s triumph, thanks to a goal by Kerwin Vargas in the 13th minute, allowed the second-year team to make its first playoff appearance.
Miami went on a club-record 12-game unbeaten streak after Messi joined in July, and the team won its first trophy, the Leagues Cup. However, Miami finished the season winless in seven games, with Messi sitting out some of those contests due to injury.
“When we arrived, we had two competitions in which we had the potential to compete well: the Leagues Cup and the U.S. Open Cup. We were also involved in a tournament where we were in a complicated situation,” said head coach Gerardo Martino, per the club’s official site, who joined the club in June with the club bottom of its conference.
“Out of the three tournaments, one was won by Inter Miami. If, at the time of signing, you had told me that we were going to win one of the three tournaments, I would have certainly signed with my eyes closed.”
The MLS reports that 66,101 people attended the game, many of whom were undoubtedly come to watch Messi, a seven-time Ballon d’Or winner and one of the greatest players in the history of the sport.
Miami’s Argentine skipper participated in the entire game. Kristijan Kahlina, the custodian, deflected his curling free kick onto the crossbar in the 62nd minute, then early in the second half, he had a goal disallowed for offside.
Miami finishes the year with 34 points, placing them 14th out of 15 teams in the Eastern Conference. Messi closes the year having scored 11 goals in 14 games throughout his first season.