LEAGUES CUP 2024
Inter Miami boss ‘deeply saddened’ by Leagues Cup loss
Gerardo Martino spoke about feelings after Inter Miami lost to Columbus Crew in the Leagues Cup.
After Inter Miami’s 3-2 loss to Columbus Crew in the round of 16 of the Leagues Cup 2024 this Tuesday, Gerardo Martino shared his thoughts at a press conference on the team’s exit from the competition and the end of their pursuit of a second championship. Now, Las Garzas must shift their focus to their upcoming return to MLS 2024.
Martino began by saying, “In reality, I believe we played 65 brilliant minutes, during which we could have even scored a third goal. Then, in a span of about 10 minutes, we had some confusion—not because we dropped back, but because we tried to press high when we perhaps weren’t in the best position to do so. They responded quickly, got one back, and soon after, made it 2-2.”
‘I’m deeply saddened by the result’
He continued, “In all three goals, our players were running towards our own goal, so I don’t think we deviated from the approach we had throughout the game. Even after they went up 3-2, we had a couple of very clear chances to score. But the truth is, I’m deeply saddened by the result because I believe it doesn’t reflect the game we played or the quality of the opponent.”
On Inter Miami’s main objective this season, Martino said, “The narrative of success or failure often overlooks the detailed analysis of each game, such as whether the team is evolving or not. It’s tough to judge solely by the results. What’s clear is that we always strive to compete on equal footing, regardless of our form.”
Reflecting on the team’s performance, he added, “When you consider how we competed against Columbus today, it’s impossible not to be satisfied. We managed to play exceptionally well at the home of the reigning MLS Cup champions, who were also finalists in the Concacaf Champions League. Our goal remains to compete for and win a title in the domestic league.”
Regarding the lack of substitutions in the match against Columbus Crew, Martino clarified, “I didn’t see it that way. I didn’t feel it was a game where changes were necessary. We brought on Julian [Gressel] around the 66th or 67th minute because Matias [Rojas] was tired. At that point, we were comfortable with how things were going.”
He continued, “When I did feel the need to make adjustments, we did so. The team showed no signs of needing changes while they were in control of the match. Columbus, on the other hand, made three changes at halftime, but even after that, we had the opportunity to go up 2-0, even 3-0. I prefer to analyse the full 90 minutes, and I didn’t find a point where we needed to make a change,” concluded Martino.