Lionel Messi has been billed as the most influential player in MLS by Nashville coach Gary Smith, with there nobody else that “can do what he can do”.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Nashville found that out to their cost in a CONCACAF Champions Cup meeting with Inter Miami. Messi was forced out of a clash in Florida on Wednesday through injury, but he found the target in both legs of a last-16 encounter and contributed significantly to a 5-3 aggregate success for the Herons.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Messi inspired Inter Miami to a 2-0 first-half lead at Chase Stadium in midweek, before leaving proceedings five minutes after the restart, and Smith concedes that containing the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner remains an almost impossible task for all of the domestic opponents that he comes up against in America.
WHAT SMITH SAID ABOUT MESSI
Smith said of being on the receiving end of more Messi magic and his importance to the Inter Miami cause: “He’s such a huge influence on the rest of the group. Yes, they have other very good players. But there is no one that can do what he can do. There is an infinite amount of trust in his decisions, his techniques, his ability. As soon as he gets on the ball everyone else goes into gear. And that’s a real problem. That’s a problem for individuals playing against him, it’s a problem for the midfield players and defenders, because they’re now seeing runners that they wouldn’t normally see. Maybe one or two players that have got that sort of confidence from the rest of their team-mates around the league. Not many. And nobody at the level, of course, that this guy can produce.”
WHAT NEXT FOR MESSI?
It remains to be seen when Messi will be back in action for Inter Miami, as he is nursing a muscle complaint in his right leg. He will not figure in a meeting with D.C. United on Saturday, with international duty in the Argentina camp set to follow that fixture if the 36-year-old is deemed fit enough to link up with his country.
