To quote Billy Beane in Moneyball, “If you lose the last game of the season, what difference does it make?” That is where Inter Miami sit, as the team has been eliminated from the Leagues Cup after blowing a 2-goal lead against the MLS Cup champions Columbus Crew.
Diego Rossi was the Crew’s hero with two goals on the evening, and Tata Martino’s side was out-possessed and out-shot by the champions. Now eliminated from the Concacaf Champions Cup and the Leagues Cup, and being one of many clubs that did not play in the US Open Cup, it’s now MLS Cup or bust for Inter Miami.
In a season that has seen Lionel Messi miss more games than he has played, and despite being first overall in MLS, reporters began to question what’s left for Tata Martino’s side after another big defeat.
Tata Martino Standing Firm
Too often, Tata Martino’s demeanor has been that of a manager having fun—coaching Luis Suárez, Messi, and Jordi Alba, and helping position Diego Gomez to possibly be sold to a Premier League side.
Last night, the press corps began asking harsh questions of the Argentine manager. Tata Martino answered a question regarding if it was MLS Cup or bust: “This story of glory or failure, this lack of analysis from each game to see if the game is evolving or not, it’s difficult to respond if you are only focusing on the results.
“It’s clear that (Inter Miami) tries to find a goal at every moment. When one sees how the team competed against Columbus, one cannot be unsatisfied by the performance… The realities are different. We were a different team in Monterrey (at the beginning of the season) than we are now… We will continue to try to compete and win a local title. I can accept that one is viewed by whether you win or lose, but my analysis comes from another place”, Martino ended.