MLS
USMNT legend says Inter Miami can handle preseason schedule
Former Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard believes that Lionel Messi and his Miami teammates have a lot to gain from their globetrotting tour.
How much is too much? Having spent big to bring Lionel Messi and an ever-widening circle of ex-Barça colleagues to MLS, Inter Miami are eager to get the most out of their investment.
The globe-trotting preseason tour began with games in El Salvador and Texas, before jetting off to Saudi Arabia and soon on to Japan and Hong Kong. While the commercial gain is obvious, some are concerned that Miami’s intense schedule could take a toll on their aging superstars.
But former Manchester united and Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard has dismissed those claims, saying that the medical resources available to modern players will help keep them fit and healthy.
“There are fears that the hangover from all this travel and all these games will affect Messi and co. I think that’s a convenient excuse,” the former USMNT goalkeeper wrote.
“I don’t buy it because preseason is for building fitness and sports science is the be-all and end-all of these clubs. They’re monitoring every single heartbeat of these players.”
However he did admit that the long time away from home and uncertain surroundings are not pleasant for players and coaches alike. Most elite modern clubs take advantage of the off-season break to travel to new markets and help spread the ‘brand’, but those involved often do so reluctantly.
Howard said that, in his experience, coaches “hate the commercial demands of touring, even if they appreciate the financial benefit these trips bring their club.”
Life on the road could help team bonding
During the course of their seven-date preseason tour, the Inter Miami squad will cover some 24,000 miles in less than four weeks. Even with the first class travel that elite athletes have come to expect, it may not be the most relaxing spell for the players.
But the shared experience of a whirlwind journey could, in Tim Howard’s view, prove to be the most important part of the tour.
He explained: “Spending more time with each other - having a coffee in the hotel lobby, playing some cards - is priceless. Trust has never been built on the pitch. It’s always built off it.”
“The more time you spend together, the more trust you build, the more you have each other’s back and the more late goals you score.”
The first three results - two defeats and a goalless draw - constitute a slow start for a Miami roster credited as one of the strongest in MLS history. But this time spent together on the road could be crucial for the team’s development, allowing the younger players to rub shoulders with, and grow comfortable in the presence of, some of the finest players of their generation.