"We’ve got good players too" - Seattle Sounders boss makes claim ahead of Leagues Cup final against Lionel Messi's Inter Miami

Seattle Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer has hailed Lionel Messi as the best player ever ahead of the Leagues Cup final against Inter Miami. The MLS Western Conference side lock horns with the Herons at the Lumen Field on Sunday, August 31.

All eyes are on the Florida-based club ahead of the game, thanks to the presence of the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner in their roster. La Pulga has been in tremendous form since arriving at the Chase Stadium and famously won the Leagues Cup with Inter Miami in 2023.

However, it is hardly going to be the Lionel Messi and Co. show at Lumen Field this weekend, given that the Sounders enjoy an enviable fan following. Interestingly, unlike the Herons, the Western Conference club have rarely invested in ageing superstars.

Speaking recently, as cited by SI, Schmetzer insisted that the Seattle Sounders also have some good players in their squad.

“Messi is arguably the best player the world has ever seen, but we have Paul Rothrock, and we have Jackson Ragen, and we have Snyder Brunell and Andrew Thomas, we’ve got good players too. [Luis] Suárez is not going to run by anybody because Yeimar is faster,” said Schmetzer.

Inter Miami and Seattle Sounders were both quite impressive at the summer's FIFA Club World Cup. They have carried that form to the MLS as well as the Leagues Cup.

Has Lionel Messi won the MLS with Inter Miami?

Lionel Messi is yet to get his hands on the MLS trophy since joining Inter Miami in the summer of 2023. The Argentine ace arrived at Chase Stadium as a free agent once his contract with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) had run out.

The 38-year-old proceeded to win the Leagues Cup in his debut campaign, which was the first trophy in the club's history. Having arrived in the middle of the league season, however, La Pulga saw the Herons finish 14th in the Eastern Conference table.

However, Lionel Messi helped the Florida-based club turn over a new leaf the following campaign. In his first full season, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner powered Inter Miami to the top of the Eastern Conference table, helping them win the Supporters' Shield.

Unfortunately, the Argentine couldn't work his magic in the MLS Cup Playoffs. The Herons bowed out of the tournament at the hands of Atlanta United in Round One. Messi, however, won the 2024 MLS MVP.

About the author

Deepungsu is a veteran football journalist who has been covering daily transfer roundups and news for over seven years at Sportskeeda. He has written more than 9500 articles for the website, and has garnered close to 21 million reads.

Deepungsu holds a PG degree in Microbiology and an MBA degree in Total Quality Management. He has an extensive two-decade long writing experience, which includes a decade of sports blogging. His writing prowess has even led his work getting cited on the legendary Franz Beckenbauer's Wikipedia page.

Inspired by Diego Maradona, Deepungsu played as an attacking midfielder for his local club at subdivision level in his initial years and scored an important goal or two. However, his all-time favorite footballer is Lionel Messi, and evidently, he feels Argentina's glory in 2022 is his favorite FIFA World Cup moment for fulfilling his long-standing dream. He is also an ardent East Bengal fan.

Deepungsu has been a Manchester United supporter since the year 2000. Unsurprisingly, his favorite manager is Sir Alex Ferguson and the Scotsman helped him get through some of the toughest days of his life. Like the fiery Scot, Deepungsu also leaves no stone unturned when it comes to accuracy in articles and only relies on credible sources.

Despite believing in Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland to create an iconic rivalry, Deepungsu reckons no one can match the longevity of Messi and Ronaldo. He spends his leisure time writing about life on his blog, reading books, and playing the guitar.

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Edited by Deepungsu Pandit