LEAGUES CUP 2024
Tata Martino reveals secrets to Inter Miami form
The MLS coach spoke ahead of his side’s improvements as they continue their charge in multiple competitions.
In addition to the extraordinary quality of players such as Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, Inter Miami’s fine form is largely due to the management of Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino, who over the months has given The Herons a clear identity. This Saturday he spoke at a press conference after beating Puebla on Matchday 1 of Leagues Cup 2024.
The first question came in regarding CJ Dos Santos getting the opportunity as the starting goalkeeper. In a move that came as a surprise, Martino explained that “we have two very good goalkeepers and we thought it was a very good moment to give CJ an incentive. I’m not thinking we’re putting the match at risk, far from it.
Leagues Cup ‘a tournament that is very demanding and very tiring’
“Our look at this tournament is clearly different from the one we had a year ago”, Tata said when asked to compare then from now. “A year ago we were at the bottom of the league (MLS) and today we are in first place, but we had no reason to be wary: we played a week ago and we will play again in a week’s time. We’ll see how we move forward in a tournament that is very demanding and very tiring,” Martino added.
The Argentine coach also referred to the playing time Luis Suárez has seen and the fact that he could not be at the MLS All-Star Game: “This situation of his knee becoming inflamed is not something that has just happened now. Maybe there were other opportunities that weren’t made public, but now we had to reveal it as Luis didn’t go to the All-Star Game.
“It is a knee that he works with permanently week by week. There are weeks when it is better and there are weeks when it is not so good. On the other hand, we know that Leo Campana comes off the back of five or six games playing with the team whereas he (Suárez) came back after playing very few minutes at the Copa América. He played very little and when we see that he is doing well, that he is growing in match fitness and form”, he added.
Tata Martino also took the time to praise Jordi Alba: “He is a player with different skillset to others, someone who allows us to have different styles of players in the team. We can have a winger like Robert (Taylor) who played today or we can have a midfielder like Diego (Gómez).
“The reality is that with Jordi, it’s like playing with a number ‘10′ at left back. The ball comes out clean, he knows when to send it long, when to play it close. He gets assists and must be one of the best passers in the league. That’s a big advantage,” the 61-year-old concluded.