Inter Miami saw a three-game winning streak snapped by Red Bull New York on Saturday, and Lionel Messi is partially to blame for the Herons’ struggles at Sports Illustrated Stadium.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner had to fly to Spain on Wednesday to receive the Princess of Asturias Award for Sport the following day. Then, Messi made the long journey back to the United States in time for Inter Miami ’s weekend MLS clash.

Except the heavy travel and time changes kept Messi on the bench at the start of the game, leaving reigning MLS Cup winners without their best and most influential player against a hungry Red Bull team.

The Herons were down 1–0 just seven minutes into the bout, thanks to an own goal from Casemiro, and finished the first half without a single shot on target. The team was crying out for Messi, who eventually came on the pitch just before the hour-mark.

In the end, it wasn’t enough time for the 39-year-old to pull off a moment of magic to get Inter Miami back into the game.…