Inter Miami suffered their first loss of the year with Lionel Messi watching on the sidelines. CF Montreal emerged victorious in a five-goal thriller at Chase Stadium, with many wondering whether things could have been different if the Argentine star had played.
Messi was seen in pain during the 2-2 draw against Nashville on Thursday, when the 8x Ballon d’Or winner also suffered a high boot by Lukas MacNaughton. However, Gerardo Martino said resting Leo on Sunday was always the plan, regardless of his status.
“We talked about it about a week ago and we agreed that this was the game where he had to rest, regardless of what happened in the game with Nashville,” Martino said, via ESPN.
The 36-year-old had played every single minute of the season so far, including three MLS matches as well as the Concacaf Champions Cup fixture last week. With a packed schedule ahead, Martino knows it will be crucial to know when to let Messi rest. A few weeks ago, the coach had already shown concern on Messi spending too much energy early in the year.
Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami looks on during the first half of a match against CF Montréal at DRV PNK Stadium on March 10, 2024 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
“Tata Martino said Lionel Messi has expended too much energy first two games, aim is for the rest of the team to move ball better so he can focus on finalizing goals and preserving some energy for long season ahead,” Michelle Kaufman of The Miami Herald reported, via the Daily Mail.
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While Martino addressed his team’s need to improve in set-piece defending, the Argentine manager said Inter Miami deserved to win the match. In fact, he called out Montreal for wasting time late in the match.
“Before the league started, we had to listen for an hour to a talk about what the spirit of the league was and the spirit of the league was not seen today,” Martino said. “There was a team that did not want to play. In each situation of a throw-in, of a goal kick, of a foul, permanently wasted time with the collaboration of a referee, who took 30 seconds to write down the shirt number of the cautioned player.”
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Inter Miami were unbeaten in four games across all competitions, but while their undefeated streak is over, they are still atop the Eastern Conference standings with 7 points along with four other teams – including Montreal.
The Herons return to action Wednesday, when they host Nashville in the second leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup round of 16. With the aggregate score at 2-2, Messi is expected to be back on the field to try and help his side progress in its quest for the ultimate glory.
