- Argentine icon missed clash with Florida rivals
- Herons draw another blank without him
- Confidence he will be back for next MLS game
WHAT HAPPENED?
No risks were taken on the Argentine superstar in a derby date with Florida rivals. The Herons drew a blank without their talismanic captain, but remain top of the MLS Eastern Conference for now. Martino’s side have fallen flat during enforced absences for Messi this season, but the expectation is that he will be back for Inter Miami’s next outing.
WHAT MARTINO SAID
Martino told reporters when asked to for an update on Messi: “Leo had some discomfort, but he trained every day, we did tests and they all came out very good. Having three games in a week, with him still in some pain, we felt it was prudent for him to sit out this game. The plan is for him to play Saturday, but we will take it day by day. He trained again [on Wednesday] and felt good, but we will not take any risk. We will see how he feels on Thursday and Friday.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Inter Miami had scored 19 goals through five successive victories with Messi at their disposal, but average less than one per game without him. Martino added on the Herons’ lack of cutting edge when the World Cup winner is missing: “Not having Leo, it is impossible to achieve the capacity he has to play the final 25 meters of the field. Inter Miami felt that and Barcelona felt that 10 years ago. All of the good things they did in the buildup needed him to find solutions down the field in tight spaces. We were missing that. On the other hand, we were organized, we had good ball circulation…and defensively, we were a solid team, and that is what I take away because we had allowed goals in all but two games and in this game, against a tough rival in a tough place to play we were able to keep it at zero.”
WHAT NEXT FOR MESSI?
Messi, who will turn 37 in June, has just four more fixtures with Inter Miami to take in before linking up with the Argentina squad for the 2024 Copa America. The Herons continue to be given a taste of how difficult it will be to maintain trophy-chasing form without him.
