Messi Misses 3rd Straight Penalty in Miami's 4-1 Loss to Nashville
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- Messi saw his 23rd-minute penalty saved low to his right by Nashville goalkeeper Brian Schwake, with Sergio Reguilón's rebound rebound goal disallowed for encroachment after video review
- It is the first time since 2014 that Messi has failed to convert three straight penalties, per ESPN Research; he also missed both Argentina attempts at this summer's World Cup (against Austria and Egypt)
- Nashville SC ran riot after the break, with former MLS MVP Hany Mukhtar scoring twice either side of Sam Surridge's back-heeled finish, after Telasco Segovia had equalized for Miami in first-half stoppage time
- Nashville now holds a five-point lead atop the Eastern Conference with 15 regular-season games remaining, after Miami entered Geodis Park knowing a win would have lifted them above their hosts
- Messi was starting for the first time since the death of his father Jorge a week ago, and grew visibly frustrated — earning a yellow card disputing a foul in the buildup to Nashville's third goal and later being denied by both posts in one attack
- Miami goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo slipped outside his penalty area on the match-clinching fourth, allowing Schwake's long kick forward to find Mukhtar walking into an unguarded net
Why it matters: The defending MLS Cup champions have now lost three straight across all competitions at exactly the wrong stretch of the season — falling five points behind Nashville with 15 games left, and doing so while Messi endures his longest penalty drought in over a decade just a week after his father's death.
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