Getty | Tom Hindle Mar 12, 2026 07:37+06:00 Inter Miami player ratings vs Nashville: Lionel Messi kept quiet as Germán Berterame’s nightmare start continues in scoreless CONCACAF Champions Cup draw
Inter Miami were forced to settle for a frustrating scoreless draw with Nashville SC in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions Cup last-16 tie. Neither side created much, and Lionel Messi was kept surprisingly quiet in a poor fixture where both teams looked more eager not to lose. The two sides combined for just five shots on target over 90 minutes.
Miami had few chances to speak of in the first half. In fact, Nashville were by some distance the more assertive side. Sam Surridge posed a handful of problems for the visitors and tested Dayne St. Clair twice—although the former Minnesota United keeper matched both efforts with a pair of solid stops.
Messi, for his part, had little involvement, connecting sparingly and failing to generate a clear look despite Miami’s possession dominance, which yielded little in return.
The Herons started to hum after the break. Messi, predictably, was at the center of it all, finding pockets of space and distributing effectively. Big-money striker Germán Berterame had the first—and only—big chance of the half but somehow fired wide with the goal gaping. And that was mostly it.
Miami will perhaps go home the happier of the two sides with a second leg to come next week. Still, this was hardly a match to remember for either team.
GOAL rates Inter Miami's players from Geodis Park...Getty
Goalkeeper & Defense Dayne St. Clair (6/10): Made a couple of nice saves but was a little shaky in his distribution. Will be happy with a clean sheet, though.Facundo Mura (6/10): A better shift than in recent weeks. Held down the right effectively enough and passed well.
Maxi Falcón (N/A): Subbed inside 10 minutes with an apparent injury.
Micael (8/10): Up for the fight all night long. Won his headers and rarely made a mistake. Commanding at the back.
Noah Allen (6/10): Not his best evening. A bit shaky against Cristian Espinoza, who had his number all night. Made a couple of important clearances, though.
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Midfield Yannick Bright (6/10): Struggled in a defensive midfield role. Hany Mukhtar kept finding pockets of space around him.Rodrigo De Paul (7/10): A solid box-to-box performance. Put out fires in the middle and connected with Miami's forward players.
Telasco Segovia (6/10): Created a couple of chances and enjoyed some nice moments. Nothing quite came off for him, though.
Tadeo Allende (5/10): Fewer touches than anyone else in the midfield. Pretty much anonymous.
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Attack Lionel Messi (7/10): Quiet in the first half but much more effective in the second. Linked play and tried to get his teammates involved.Germán Berterame (4/10): A baffling evening. Inexplicably escaped a red for a woeful challenge and fired wide not long after.
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Subs & Manager Gonzalo Luján (5/10): Brought on for the injured Falcón and failed to deal with Surridge.Ian Fray (7/10): A solid shift at right back. Deserves a start.
Mateo Silvetti (5/10): His first touch was to give the ball away, and he never really improved from there.
Javier Mascherano (5/10): Went with a strong side after Miami's promise to compete in the Champions Cup. Miami were solid defensively but pretty woeful on the ball. Not his most memorable night in management.