Messi-less MLS falls 4-1 to Mexican league in All-Star Game

Second-half goals by Argentine strikers Juan Brunetta and Maximiliano Meza gave Mexico's Liga MX a 4-1 victory over Major League Soccer in Wednesday's MLS All-Star Game.

Argentine striker German Berterame and Moroccan winger Oussama Idrissi also scored for the Mexican league's elite squad in the triumph at Columbus, Ohio.

MLS had won both prior All-Star meetings with Mexican league rivals, playing to a 1-1 draw and winning 3-2 on penalty kicks in 2021 and taking a 2-1 triumph in 2022.

Berterame, a 25-year-old forward for Mexico's CF Monterrey, opened the scoring in the 16th minute.

Cucho Hernandez, a Colombian winger for the Columbus Crew, equalized for MLS in the 17th minute.

Idrissi answered for Liga MX in the 41st minute to give his squad a 2-1 lead at half-time.

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Reserve Brunetta, a striker for Tigres UANL, boosted Liga MX's lead in the 68th minute and Meza, a winger for Monterrey who also came off the bench to start the second half, added another goal in the 69th for the final margin.

Inter Miami's Lionel Messi did not play for MLS due to a right ankle injury suffered in Argentina's victory over Colombia in the Copa America final.

Messi, who also missed two MLS games last week, is uncertain for Miami's home game Saturday against Puebla as Inter begins defending the Leagues Cup, a second-year tournament involving MLS and Liga MX clubs that begins on Friday.