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Inter Miami boss Javier Mascherano has made a surprise claim after Lionel Messi and the Herons endured a shocking 4-1 loss to Minnesota United. They had travelled to the Allianz Field on Saturday (May 10), only to pick up their fourth loss in five games.
Although Lionel Messi scored in the early part of the second half, the Herons could not recover from a two-goal deficit as they conceded two more in rapid succession. Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano acknowledged the vulnerabilities of his team in his press conference afterwards. He said (via GOAL):
"The third goal killed us. Unfortunately, it’s a tough defeat for us because, despite everything, we knew Minnesota could hurt us in this way—the way we had prepared for—and that’s what worries me the most."
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The Herons did not travel with striker Luis Suarez owing to personal circumstances, and this compelled Mascherano to modify his tactics. The head coach explained that there were further changes that had to be made due to Fafa Picault suffering a migraine:
"We had prepared for the game differently. This morning, Fafa [Picault] woke up with a migraine and couldn’t play, which forced us to change our setup. The areas we need to improve are mainly defensive."
He continued:
"It’s very hard to find clarity when there’s no space. Of course, that’s not an excuse - we have to work on that. The opponent did well, and we struggled. We had some chances, but every time we attacked, they hurt us badly in transition."
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami will hope to regroup as they approach their next game against the San Jose Earthquakes this midweek (May 14, EST). They will need to shore up their defense and return to winning ways.
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami lose heavily to Minnesota United
It was a troubling day for Inter Miami, as they fell hard against Minnesota United, who hosted the match at the Allianz Field. The Herons conceded two goals in the first half, with Bongokuhle Hlongwane opening the scoring for Minnesota in the 32nd minute.
On the cusp of half-time (45+2'), Anthony Markanich scored their second goal to put the hosts in the driving seat. In the second half, Lionel Messi shone, as he combined well with Jordi Alba to halve the deficit for the Herons (48'). However, he could do little else, as Miami's defense struggled to hold off their hosts.
An own goal from Marcelo Weigandt in the 68th minute worsened things for the visitors. Two minutes later, Robin Lod shut down any hopes of a comeback with the fourth goal. Regardless of Messi's efforts, which included his 44th goal for the club, the Herons' poor performance has left them in fourth on the Eastern Conference table.
