It was yet another clutch display from Lionel Messi that saved Inter Miami from losing to LA Galaxy on the road. Interestingly, Messi scored the 92nd-minute goal five minutes after LA Galaxy was reduced to ten men. In the 87th minute, LA’s midfielder Mark Delgado received a second yellow card and was sent off. The referee penalized him for a ‘ghost’ tackle on Sergio Busquets. Pundits and fans widely deem the referee’s call controversial because there was hardly any contact between the two players. Now, Busquets himself condemns the referee’s decision, implying that the red card gave the Herons an advantage.

In a recent interview, he told the press, “There was some contact, but it was pretty minor. I didn’t notice that he had pulled out the card because he was standing behind me,” said Busquets. He added, “I think it had an impact on the game since getting sent off always affects the team’s performance when playing with one less player.” During the match, the penalized LA star slide-tackled Sergio Busquets. However, he missed the ball, as the Miami anchor passed it before the tackle. He ultimately hit his toe on Delgado, who was already on the ground and fell. Usually, this would not have been a warning. But the replacement referee thought otherwise.

Hence, it is no surprise Busquets condemned the call. Besides, the referee has faced flak from Delgado, LA Galaxy’s staff, and its fans. Delgado hand-gestured a money symbol to the referee before he left the field. Then he took to X and conveyed he was speechless. Meanwhile, LA Galaxy’s Greg Vanney said his player’s foul on the Inter Miami star was soft and not worthy of a red card. Besides them, the referee has also invited backlash from a USMNT legend.

Ex-USMNT star supports Delgado after a bizarre foul on Sergio Busquets, while MLS faces flak

Ex-USMNT forward turned pundit Herculez Gomez is one of the most vocal MLS analysts out there. He never shies away from giving his verdict on key moments from MLS games. Immediately after the referee sent off Mark Delgado for his soft foul on Sergio Busquets, Gomez rushed to X and gave his verdict. “This was called as a second yellow,” he wrote X, adding a crying emoji. Later, when Busquets admitted the refereeing was unjust, Gomez shared his clip on X, iterating the Miami star’s words.

Inter Miami Media Day: Sergio Busquets Counters MLS’ Critics and Makes La Liga Comparison

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Besides the referee who officiated the Miami-LA game, the entire MLS is facing flak for its refereeing fiasco in the first week of the league. The MLS usually selects match officials from the Professional Soccer Referees Association. Now, the PSRA is clashing with the Professional Referees Organization over a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.

The MLS sided with the PRO and chose replacement referees who were outside the PSRO. Since a replacement referee caused controversy in the Busquets-Delgado situation, fans are unsurprisingly angry at the MLS for its stance on the clash between refereeing organizations.

VIDEO: Sergio Busquets Punches Al Nassr Star as Big Fight Breaks Out in Inter Miami Game