Inter Miami, minus Messi, show extent of progress in 3-1 win against SKC
No Messi? No problem. Inter Miami rallied from a goal down on Saturday to defeat Sporting Kansas City 3-1, extending its four-game unbeaten streak in MLS and its 11-game unbeaten streak in all competitions. This was Inter Miami’s first test without Argentina superstar Lionel Messi, and Tata Martino’s side passed with flying colors.
Since his arrival, Messi’s impact has been significant, as he helped the team win the inaugural Leagues Cup within the first 36 days of landing in South Florida. Fundamentally, this is what Lionel Messi was brought in to do: turn Inter Miami into the most successful side in MLS.
History shows the importance of creating a winning DP strategy for Miami
While Messi is an unstoppable talent on his own, soccer is still a team game, and he needs ten other players on the field to help. Making sure Inter Miami functions well as a team and isn’t just the “Messi show” ensures it can deal with his absence. Beating SKC showed Inter Miami has improved with and without Messi in the line-up.
Many MLS sides have sought a “’magic beans” solution to becoming the best, looking for one player to launch the franchise to the top. However, this hasn’t proved to be a great strategy in the past.
Ask Orlando City SC how many MLS Cup titles the team won after signing 2007 Ballon d’Or winner Kaka. How many trophies did Didier Drogba win during his stint in Montreal? And how much success did the early days of NYCFC, featuring the all-star cast of Andrea Pirlo, David Villa, and Frank Lampard, have? None of those teams won a thing.
Rather than the star players, the shared issue for these teams was clear: ineffective management. While Adrian Heath has found success in humbler surroundings at Minnesota United FC, he struggled to create a winning side with the mercurial Kaka and Nani playing alongside less talented players like Brek Shea and Cyle Larin.
Mauro Biello, current interim Head Coach of the Canada Men’s National Team, faced similar struggles. He failed to manage Drogba at the then-Montreal Impact, leading to the Ivorian refusing to play against rivals TFC in 2016. Similarly, Jason Kreis’ tenure as manager of NYCFC was plagued by a failure to bring the best out of the star power at his disposal.
The allure of what Designated Players can bring even burned Inter Miami and co-owner David Beckham. Gonzalo Higuain and Blaise Matuidi were originally brought into the team to help it find its feet. Despite a decent goalscoring return for Argentine international Higuain, the Herons didn’t find any success in the league.
Martino has the perfect principles for the job
This is why recruiting Tata Martino as Inter Miami’s Head Coach was as pivotal as any on-field recruitment for the Herons. Bringing in the former Argentina, Barcelona, and Mexico coach has transformed Inter into a serious contender for this season’s MLS Cup. Now, at many MLS betting sites, Inter Miami is the second favorite to lift the trophy at the end of the season.
Messi has played three of the last four games for Inter Miami (once coming on as a goal-scoring substitute), and the team has registered a 3-1-0 record in that stretch. Many of the principles of play we saw at Martino’s Atlanta United have emerged at Inter under his tutelage and showed as when the team beat SKC 3-1.
Combination is key to getting the best out of Messi
One of the ex-Mexico coach’s key principles is quick combination play. This was evident throughout the Leagues Cup, particularly in the group-stage win against Tata’s former side, Atlanta United. For the 4th goal, quick passing put Messi in a pocket of space where he could release Robert Taylor with a sublime pass to score.
This combo play, boosting Messi’s influence, was also clear in the 3-1 win at LAFC. For Miami’s second goal of the game, Messi picked up the ball in space and was flanked by three runners on either side, two of which, DeAndre Yedlin and Jordi Alba, came from the full-back positions. Martino knows that Messi will, if given the space, pick out the right man. So, whatever formation it might be, his tactical setup is designed to give the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner as many passing options as possible.
Aggressive pressing and vertical play to disrupt opposition play
During Tata Martino’s Atlanta United tenure, he utilized fast, dynamic players to apply high-pressure defensive play to unsettle the opposition. The Five Stripes were continually on the front foot, with Josef Martinez, Miquel Almerion, and Darlington Nagbe leading the charge, forcing errors and attacking quickly and vertically after winning the ball. They pressed with an intensity only a few sides in MLS history have matched.
This has been less evident in the opening games of Martino’s reign but was on show in the win against SKC, perhaps explained by the Herons going behind early. As those well-versed in soccer will tell you, coordinating a well-timed full-field press takes time on the practice field, so this is something fans should look for before the end of the season.
Dynamism and flexibility ensures midfield domination
The final focus for Martino is for Inter Miami to become flexible with its formation and be able to adapt to its system to allow it to create combinations, overloads, and pressing situations against every opponent. So far, in Leagues Cup and MLS play, Miami has operated in a 4-4-2, 4-3-3, 3-5-2, and 3-4-3 formation, depending on its opponent. The team has also switched formation mid-game to ensure it retains an advantage in the midfield.
When Messi is on the pitch, the formation also allows Miami to relieve the Argentine of defensive responsibilities so he can concentrate on positioning himself in the best place to get Inter moving when the South Florida side wins the ball back. This transition between defense and offense was another key element in Martino’s time in Georgia.
With or without Messi, Martino has the recipe for success at Miami
With or without the 2022 World Cup-winning captain, these principles – full-pitch press, tactical flexibility, swift combination play, and threats behind defense – can be applied successfully, as seen in the Children’s Mercy Park win.
Messi has played 11 games in 44 days since arriving in South Florida. With an average rest of 4 days between fixtures in the season’s final stretch, player rotation is likely required. Inter Miami won’t be short of talent, even when Messi is unavailable: Alba and Sergio Busquets are phenomenal players. With other players like Yedlin, Taylor, Campana, and Josef Martinez, even without Messi, Martino should have more than enough depth to make a run at the playoffs in the final games of the season.
He’s also blessed with players familiar with his style and methods: Alba, Busquets, Josef Martinez, and, of course, Messi, have all played under the former Barcelona and Mexico coach, which has obviously made it easier to implement his style.
Will Inter Miami crash the MLS Cup Playoff Party?
Aside from the October 10 match against Eastern Conference leaders FC Cincinnati, Inter Miami’s upcoming fixtures are against teams it has previously dominated or teams further down the standings. Each of the remaining opponents Miami will face this season, except Cincinnati – Atlanta, Toronto, Orlando, NYCFC, Chicago, and Charlotte – have an average win percentage of 29% this season. Even if Martino, Messi, and Co don’t capture a playoff spot, they have a US Open Cup final to look forward to against Houston Dynamo on September 29.
All this begins with a trip to Atlanta, and there has been concern that Messi will not play due to the artificial turf at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Having sat out Argentina’s World Cup Qualifying win against Bolivia, Messi and Martino insist that the playmaker is unconcerned about the turf. Messi said ahead of the game, “The truth is my youth was spent on artificial turf; my whole life was on that pitch.”
The 70,000 spectators packing into the Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday evening should expect Messi to turn out for at least a portion of the game. Still, even if Miami is without the generational talent, thanks to making the right appointment in the coach’s office, Inter is in the best shape it has been since it joined MLS three years ago. Messi, the Magic Bean, has been surrounded with everything he needs to propel this beleaguered franchise to success.
