Miami boss Tata Martino addresses Messi's absence in Montreal defeat

Inter Miami coach Gerardo 'Tata' Martino on Sunday criticised Montreal's time wasting and the referee's complicity in that regard after the match in which the Beckham's team, without Lionel Messi, lost 2-3 against the Canadians. "Before the league started, we had an hour-long chat and they told me what the spirit of the league was and I didn't see it today," the Argentinian coach told a news conference.

"Whoever saw the match between Liverpool and Manchester City (...) and saw the style and rhythm of the match, the referee of that match gave 8 minutes (of extra time). Exactly the same amount that they gave today (in fact, it was 9), where there was a team that did not want to play and that, in every situation of a throw-in, a goal kick, a free-kick, permanently wasted time with the collaboration of a referee who took 30 seconds to write down the number of the cautioned player's shirt," he argued.

In addition to Martino, several Inter Miami players, including Spain's Jordi Alba, showed, especially in second-half stoppage time, their displeasure at the time wasting by a Montreal side that eventually took all three points and at the referee's lack of action to prevent such repeated actions.

Colombia's Fernando Alvarez, Uruguay's Matias Coccaro and Nigeria's Ibrahim scored for Montreal, while Ecuador's Leo Campana and Jordi Alba scored for the home side. Uruguay's Luis Suarez and Spain's Sergio Busquets did not start, but came on in the second half.

 

March 10, 2024

Messi was absent and left out of the squad, an absence that was agreed with Martino by rotation.

"We discussed it a week or so ago and we agreed that this was the game where he had to rest, regardless of what happened in the game with Nashville," said the coach in reference to the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup last-16 tie in Miami on Wednesday (2-2 first leg).

On the other hand, Martino argued that Inter Miami deserved much more against Montreal in a game that was their first slip-up of the season (2 wins, a draw and a loss in 4 MLS games).

"I think we deserved to win the game; by far, we deserved to win it. What I think and what worries me is that we're a team that doesn't defend hard when they have to defend," he said.

"We didn't get off to a good start. The first 10-15 minutes were bad, but the reality is that our opponents scored two goals from set pieces. We took all the pressure of the game with shots against the crossbar and saves from the goalkeeper. Clearly, it was a game we had to win and, clearly, it was a game that, last year, we reproached ourselves for at the end, when we lose points when we don't have to lose and when we lose points without our opponents being superior," he said.