Messi's panenka saved in Miami loss

Lionel Messi’s career has spanned two full decades, and it has contained just about everything imaginable. To be precise, up until last night the Argentine had taken 144 penalties (not counting shootouts), converting 113… The 114th will have to wait, as will his 20th goal of the MLS season, because Charlotte goalkeeper Kristijan Kalina saw through his cunning intent. The owner of eight Ballon d’Ors stepped up in the 32nd minute with the score at 0-0, chipped the ball, but the 32-year-old keeper chose to stay put. That’s why the whole world is writing about the missed panenka and celebrating Charlotte’s 3-0 win, their ninth straight victory that keeps them in third place in the Eastern Conference.

A dangerous team has gathered in Charlotte: Former Manchester United flop Wilfried Zaha (seven goals and five assists) has been on a paid loan from Galatasaray for eight months, Pep Biel boasts a double-double record (ten goals, 12 assists) and former Aston Villa and Burnley midfielder with nearly 300 Premier League appearances Ashley Westwood wears the armband. The “Little Barcelona” with Messi, Busquets and Jordi Alba (Luis Suarez was absent due to suspension), along with Rodrigo De Paul, were broken down and defeated. Looking back at Messi’s career, this wasn’t the first time he failed with a panenka. Something similar happened at the 2024 Copa América, in the penalty shootout against Uruguay. Then it was the crossbar that denied him, but in that quarterfinal Emiliano Martínez saved him with his brilliant penalty stops. The Gauchos later went on to lift the trophy. Last nigth, however, there was no hero to disguise Messi’s miss and save Miami.