Inter Miami coach: 'Messi's assist was world-class'

According to coach Tata Martino, although Lionel Messi didn't score, he had a decisive influence on the victory, especially with his assist in injury time during the 2023 US National Cup semi-final.

"Beyond his professional contributions, Messi motivates his teammates, the coaching staff, and the club with his enthusiasm and leadership qualities. He always finds the solution to every moment in the game," said coach Martino after the victory against Cincinnati. "The second assist was fantastic. Messi has magically transformed things that other players find difficult into simple ones. It was a truly world-class assist."

Coach Martino celebrates with Messi after winning the 2023 League Cup. Photo: EP

At TQL Stadium, Miami were two goals down, facing the prospect of defeat in the 2023 US National Cup semi-final. However, Messi's class shone through. In the 68th minute, from a free kick on the left wing, Messi passed to Leonardo Campana, who rose high to head the ball home, reducing the deficit to 1-2. Then, in the seventh minute of added time, Messi dropped back to midfield to retrieve the ball and unexpectedly delivered an early cross. The ball slipped past a Cincinnati defender and landed perfectly for Campana's head, allowing the Ecuadorian striker to equalize at 2-2.

In extra time, each side scored one more goal, resulting in a 3-3 draw. In the penalty shootout, Messi converted his penalty, contributing to Inter Miami's 5-4 victory. This was the first time the 36-year-old striker failed to score. In the previous seven matches, he had contributed 10 goals, helping his team win all their games and the Leagues Cup – the club's first title in history.

Cincinnati 3-3 (penalty 4-5) Inter Miami

Match summary of Cincinnati vs. Inter Miami.

While delighted with the victory, coach Martino is also concerned about Messi's fitness. Except for his debut – coming on as a substitute in the 2-1 win against Cruz Azul on July 22nd – his compatriot has started and played the full seven remaining matches. "Like many other players, Leo is reaching his physical limits," Martino said. "From this point on, we will assess our approach for the next three matches."

Following coach Martino's statement, the Argentina national team's Twitter account also expressed concern about Messi's fitness. "Messi desperately needs rest. He really needs it," they wrote.

Messi celebrates after his team's victory against Cincinnati. Photo: Inter Miami

In their next match on August 27th, Miami will be playing away against the New York Red Bulls. This is expected to be Messi's debut in Major League Soccer (MLS). Fans are eager to see how he performs in the top soccer league in North America. Therefore, the decision to rest Messi or not may not simply be a matter of professional judgment for coach Martino.

The vast size of the United States makes travel physically demanding. The distance from Miami's home stadium, DRV PNK, to Red Bull Arena is over 2,000 km, while their return trip from Cincinnati was 1,760 km. Many players in the Miami squad, even those younger than Messi, showed signs of fatigue in the match against Cincinnati.

Inter Miami was founded in 2018. Two years later, they joined MLS, finishing 19th, 20th, and 6th respectively over three seasons. Currently, David Beckham's team is bottom of the table after 22 matches in the 2023 season, with five wins, three draws, and 14 losses. Before signing Messi, Miami had gone 11 consecutive games without a win.

Vinh San (according to Essentially Sports )

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