San Jose Earthquakes coach Bruce Arena intervened to prevent Lionel Messi from being sent off after the final whistle of Wednesday night’s match against Inter Miami.
Messi, visibly frustrated by a foul not called near the area, went to the referee when the final whistle blew, which earned him a yellow card.
The discussion continued, and the referee told him to leave. It was then that Arena intervened.
Obviously I wasn’t happy and I wanted to make sure he wasn’t going to get a red card. I just tried to pull him away, because him getting a red card at the end of the game would have been ridiculous.
Bruce Arena
Arena explained that his main objective was to prevent Messi’s expulsion so that he could play the next match with Inter Miami.
The match between Inter Miami and Earthquakes ended in a 3-3 draw. Goals by Maximiliano Falcón and Tadeo Allende allowed Inter Miami to earn a point as visitors.
Inter Miami has had an irregular performance after being eliminated from the Concachampions by the Vancouver Whitecaps in the semifinals, with a record of one win, one loss, and one draw since the direct elimination match on April 30.
He highlighted the 4-1 defeat to Minnesota United on Saturday, which increased Messi’s frustration.
Inter Miami will look to get back on track when they host in-state rival Orlando City on May 18 at Chase Stadium.
