Inter Miami's Lionel Messi expressed his frustration over the new Major League Soccer rule that mandates an injured player to leave the field for two minutes. This came after a foul by Montréal defender George Campbell in the 40th minute of the match, causing Messi to go down holding his knee. Despite Miami's medical staff attending to him, Campbell did not receive a yellow card for the incident.
Under the new MLS regulations, if a player remains on the ground for more than 15 seconds and medical staff enter the field, the player may be required to exit for two minutes. Messi's departure from the pitch occurred during a crucial moment, following a foul that led to a free-kick opportunity for Miami.
Head coach Gerardo Martino expressed frustration with the rule, stating that situations like Messi's injury need to be reviewed. Martino highlighted that the foul on Messi warranted a yellow card, which would have prevented him from leaving the field for two minutes.
Another incident occurred when Luis Suárez took longer than 10 seconds to exit the field during a substitution, leading to a delay in the entry of Leo Campana. This rule stipulates that each player leaving the match must depart within 10 seconds of the substitution board being raised for the final change.
Despite these off-field issues, Inter Miami secured a 3-2 victory over Montréal, maintaining their lead atop the Eastern Conference with 27 points from 13 games and an 8-2-3 record.
