Gerardo Martino
left with mixed feelings from
Inter Miami
's MLS
debut
that culminated in a good 2-0 victory over
Real Salt Lake
.
He was amazed by Lionel Messi
's performance
and was satisfied with the very good first half - especially in comparison with the weak preseason and the little he did on the Asian tour - but he also recognized that the team had a puncture in the second half and showed a version that he did not like, beyond understanding it as logical because it was the first game of a campaign that will be very long.
Tata, who was seen very restless, walking from side to side through the technical area during the second half, praised the superlative level that Messi showed.
“
I saw him very loose, fine, with a lot of speed
.
There is an issue with him, which does not happen with other players in the world.
"He can grab the ball even very far from the rival goal and the feeling he gives is that the ball is going to end up in a goal situation," he accurately described. Every time he made contact with the ball he was seen engaged and fast, as if It wasn't a first game.
And he continued: "Playing one against two in the last play, feinting from the left and coming out from the right, after such great wear and tear... It makes me happy because he is obviously well, motivated and feels good physically."
The Rosario coach was not worried that both Messi and Luis Suárez, who showed his intelligence, but was far from his best physical potential, were unable to score.
“This is what should happen with a team.
The normal thing would be for Luis, Leo and (Leonardo) Campana to be more associated with the goal, but that Robert (Taylor) and Diego (Gómez) have scored and that they have been their assists is something positive.
When there is a part of the team that depends exclusively on one player, it creates a problem because it gives a lot of reference to the rival.”
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What's more, he was enthusiastic about the times they met on the court and understood each other by heart.
“When we returned from Japan, we had three and a half days off and, from there, we started having training together.
It wasn't just playing and resting like it was on the tour, we arrived with several training sessions for the game with Newell's and the start of the league.
Sometimes, you need this, really.
Each training produces greater knowledge.
They know each other, a lot, but they still have to rediscover that partnership, which also worked in Barcelona.”
Tata, yes, did not like the second half at all.
"We made too many mistakes at the start. And Real Salt Lake deserved to tie."
And even he ironically said that five changes were not enough to reorganize his Inter.
"Ten changes I had to make."
“In the first half we maintained more of what we did in the first 20-25 of the game with Newell's.
Unfortunately we are left with the debt of the second half, because for the coaching staff that is where we should focus the most.
Equipment can hurt you.
Today we had the chance that Salt Lake wouldn't hurt us and end up defining the game.
"It's not always going to be this way."
Beyond the fatigue and some players who came out very tired, like
Tomás Avilés
, or injured like
Sergio Busquets
, Martino will continue to bet on this structure.
Video
The renowned American actor hugged the footballer and expressed gratitude on social networks: "“This was crazy!! Congratulations on the victory, Lionel Messi.”
“I don't think about a rotation.
It is the first game, in any case we will see how the players finished because most of the changes we had to make were for physical reasons.
Maybe we need to check that, but no.
I'm not thinking about any rotation or giving a rest on the second date because we are just starting to compete.
Let's hope everyone is fine, including that Nico Freire is fit to play.
He is going to travel, and we will see later when the time comes and the games accumulate,” he analyzed.
Inter Miami's next match will be this Sunday against the Los Angeles Galaxy.
You will have to cross the United States, but MLS is like that.
The balance, for now, is positive.
The team needs to break in.
Also, as Tata assured, recover and add players to have a deeper squad and be able to sustain the game during the 90 minutes.
That is why he anxiously hopes that Benjamín Cremaschi and Facundo Farías can return from their injuries as soon as possible and that Federico Redondo, the brand new addition, joins the training sessions.