After beating New York RB as a guest with a goal from the star at the end, Tata explained that Messi “comes from an important business,” and both agreed that it was best to rest.
“It was good for him to play 30 minutes to recover. He and Busquets finished the last game very tired, but he’ll be fine; he’s getting better physically, and he’s finishing the games well. He’ll qualify well,” Martino said at a press conference.
Messi came on in the last half hour and converted the goal toward the end to make it 2-0.
“There are no more surprises with him, although it is very difficult to see Cremaschi surrounded by defenders, but he finds him and then determines the game,” emphasized the Rosario coach.
The Inter Miami boss confirmed that Messi will play the next two games and then be sacked: on Wednesday against Nashville at home and on Sunday against Los Angeles FC as a guest.
Fans at Red Bull Arena in New Jersey were asking about Messi from the start of the game, but Martino warned that despite the public pressure, he would not change his plan.
“I understand people’s desire to see him play; it’s going to happen to us everywhere. We cannot deviate from the plan and pawn the physique of “Leo” because we are not here to destroy the player. I don’t have to apologize to the people, but I understand the demands,” said the veteran coach with a past with teams from Paraguay, Argentina, and Mexico.
Asked by critics who maintain the level of MLS, Tata assured them that Messi raises the level of competition.
“If we compare it to Europe, we’re far away, but it’s also true that I’ve seen a lot of players in the same conditions and nobody made the difference like ‘Leo’,” he stressed.
