Nashville SC head coach Gary Smith took many by surprise on Saturday, when he subbed off goalkeeper Elliot Panicco at halftime during his side’s 3-1 loss to Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami at Chase Stadium.
In his post-match press conference, the Englishman said he noticed the 27-year-old was struggling on the field. In Smith’s eyes, Panicco didn’t look comfortable with the ball at his feet and he feared Messi and company could expose him in the second half.
“With Elliot (Panicco), I just thought he was going through a very difficult time. I didn’t want to put him under the spotlight in the second half,” Smith said. “There were three or four moments with the ball at his feet, I think they were seeing as prime opportunities maybe to get a higher press and it was causing some difficulties for the rest of the group.“
The visitors opened the scoring only two minutes into the game thanks to an own goal by Franco Negri. But it didn’t take long for the hosts to bounce back, with Messi making things level after 11′. 28 minutes later, the Argentine star assisted Sergio Busquets from a corner kick to turn things around. Before coming back from the break, Smith decided to play the second half with Joe Willis between the sticks.
Elliot Panicco #30 of Nashville SC warms-up prior to a match between Nashville SC and Inter Miami CF at DRV PNK Stadium on August 30, 2023 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
“Look, again, some wonderful work from Elliot. He was in the side because he deserved to,” added Smith, who claimed that even though it was a “difficult” 45 minutes for Elliot, he made a couple of “excellent saves.” Still, the Nashville coach didn’t like the work with his feet, saying it was “creating some issues.”
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Video: Lionel Messi scores brace for Inter Miami against Nashville SC in MLS
Nashville, one of Messi’s favorite victims in MLS
Messi has been in the US for less than a year but Nashville have already become one of his favorite victims in Major League Soccer. The 36-year-old’s first meeting against this side came in August 19, 2023, in the Leagues Cup final.
Leo opened the scoring that night, and even though the game went to penalties, he scored his shot to help the Herons win their first ever trophy. These teams once again squared off in the Concacaf Champions Cup this year.
And of course, Messi once again was unstoppable for Nashville. With his side trailing 2-0 in the first leg round of 16, the former Barcelona star came up with a moment of magic to pull one back at Geodis Park, paving the way for a 2-2 draw.
In the second leg in South Florida, Messi continued to be too much for Gary Smith’s team as he recorded a goal and an assist in 50′ minutes on the field to help Miami win 3-1.
Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi (10) crosses the ball ahead of Nashville SC defender Lukas MacNaughton (3) during the Leagues Cup Final match between Nashville SC and Inter Miami CF on Saturday, August 19, 2023 at GEODIS Park in Nashville, TN.
On Saturday, Leo led Inter Miami’s come-from-behind victory with a goal and an assist in the first half before a penalty goal late in the second half to seal the final score.
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With this win, Gerardo Martino’s men are atop the Eastern Conference standings with 18 points in 10 games, one more than most of the league. Nashville, on the other hand, are 14th with seven points in eight matches.
