Inter Miami have reasons to be positive despite pre-season defeats

Inter Miami finally put an end to their long pre-season tour, which took The Herons’ squad and nearly 100 staff members to Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong and Japan, where on Wednesday they played their last match against Vissel Kobe in Tokyo; they are now on their way back to Miami to rest before taking on the last of pre-season opponents: Newell’s Old Boys.

After a scoreless draw over 90 minutes, the match ended in defeat from the penalty spot, which leaves Inter Miami with an overall record of one win, four losses and a draw.

Beyond the results on the field, the Inter Miami squad and Tata Martino’s coaching staff leave the continent with positive feelings and more than anything else with a sense of constructive self-criticism about this series of preparation matches ahead of the start of the MLS 2024 season on February 21.

Yedlin: ‘it was quite a difficult match’

At the end of the match, DeAndre Yedlin, the Miami full-back, acknowledged that it was a difficult match against the Japanese team, who demonstrated their quality as league champions. He also highlighted the steep learning curve experienced regarding the growth of Inter Miami during this tour abroad.

“It was quite a difficult match. We could see the quality of the players they have, too fast, very dynamic and you can see the reasons why they won their league, that’s what made it a difficult game,” Yedlin explained.

At the end of the match, the Miami coach, Gerardo ‘El Tata’ Martino, gave his analysis of the match, a calm summary despite the defeat, and said he thinks that his team left a good account of themselves in the second half.

Messi ‘happy’ after return from injury

“I think it was an even game, they played better in the first half, they had opportunities to score and we improved as the game progressed in the second half,” said Martino in statements shared by the Miami Herald.

Finally, Martino highlighted that, despite having only 30 minutes of activity, Lionel Messi was involved and it was the Argentinean star who expressed a desire to return to the field. “After yesterday’s training session Leo told me he felt good and we made the decision to put him in for 30 minutes. He was happy after the game because he said he felt comfortable there,” Martino concluded.

Inter Miami play Newell’s Old Boys in Fort Lauderdale on February 16 in what is their final game ahead of the MLS 2024 season. The domestic campaign begins soon after, as they take on Real Salt Lake in Miami on February 22, marking the beginning of a season in which Messi, Suárez, Busquets, Alba and co. will be looking to claim as much silverware as possible for their side.