By joiner martinez
Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami managed to add their first MLS victory after 11 games, beating the NY Red Bulls the previous weekend, while last Wednesday they drew 0-0 against Nashville SC at the DVR PNK in Fort Lauderdale.
The next duel will be against Los Angeles FC, who suffered a loss against Charlotte, but despite this, the coach, Steve Cherundolo, played it down as it was just another game for them.
Cherundolo commented: “It’s another league game. They are on a good run with the victory tonight (Saturday August 26) and it is a game that they have to win if they want to go to the playoffs. Their goal in their visit to Los Angeles is very clear, but our goal is very similar. It must be a match and we will have time to prepare and recover”.
Faced with the hustle and excitement that Messi’s presence has created with his goals and genius, the reality that the club lives in the MLS regular season is different from what it achieved with the Leagues Cup title and securing its pass to the US Open Cup final
“It’s a mistake to focus on just one player,” said the LAFC technical director. “It’s not the right way to play… but, it’s an illusion to think that you can stop him for 90 minutes or more, he will have at least one or two chances.”
Carlos Vela without much motivation to face Messi
“It doesn’t matter who plays against me or who I’m going to do something against,” LAFC captain Carlos Vela told the media after training on Friday. “Being healthy and available for my team is my motivation and being able to go to every game every weekend to show that I am a good player.”
The Mexican soccer player has experienced great rivalries in his career in Europe and in the MLS, such as the one he experienced against Zlatan Ibrahimovic with the LA Galaxy. On the verge of starting a new rivalry against whom he is considered one of the best players in history, Vela sees no comparison between Messi and Zlatan.
“Zlatan did dominate, but he didn’t win anything,” recalled Vela. “Messi has won in less time and they are not things that can be compared. They are different players, they have come to different situations”.
He also commented on the partnership of Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba: “I think they have always had good players, the system or the dynamics, the results were not accompanying the team that they could be”.
And he closed: “Obviously, football and life are about dynamics, about streaks, when you’re well, Messi comes in, confidence goes up. Everything improves, everything goes. In the end it is part of the sport, theirs is to take advantage of the good moments of it, now that they are in a positive dynamic, a dynamic of triumphs, of good football and they want to continue extending it ”.
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