Inter Miami coach Tata Martino defended his decision to rest Lionel Messi against Montreal on Sunday, despite the team slumping to their first defeat of the season without him.
Miami were left to rue Messi’s absence as Montreal ran out 3-2 winners at Chase Stadium, where a series of defensive mishaps contributed to the hosts’ first loss of the 2024 campaign.
Both teams scored twice in a frantic final 20 minutes, though it was Sunusi Ibrahim who turned home what proved to be the winner for a jubilant Montreal.
Messi, 36, could only watch on from the stands after Martino opted to rest his star man amid a grueling schedule of three games in six days.
Inter Miami coach Tata Martino defended his decision to rest Lionel Messi against Montreal
Martino said after the game that Messi and other key stars need to ‘last an entire season’
Miami fell to their first defeat of the season without Messi, losing 3-2 at home to Montreal
Miami are set to take on Nashville in the second leg of their CONCACAF Champions Cup Round of 16 tie on Wednesday, before visiting D.C. United on Saturday.
Despite his absence costing them in the end, Martino stuck by his decision to leave Messi out against Montreal, insisting his key players need to be able to last ‘an entire season’.
‘We talked about it about a week ago and we agreed that this was the game where he had to rest, regardless of what happened in the game with Nashville,’ the Miami boss said about Messi.
‘We also must make sure our team is healthy and can last an entire season.’
Along with Messi, Martino also has other veteran ex-Barcelona stars on his Miami roster in Jordi Alba, 34, Sergio Busquets, 35, and new recruit Luis Suarez, 37.
Busquets and Suarez started Sunday’s game on the bench before entering the fray late in the second half, yet their respective introductions were unable to inspire them to victory.
Martino felt his team were unlucky on the day, adding: ‘I think we more than deserved to win the game. Clearly it was a game we should have won.’
Martino felt his team deserved to win the game despite their late collapse on the day
‘What worries me is that we are a team that does not defend hard in the moments when it has to defend, be it when the ball is in play or on dead-ball situations.’
He also accused Montreal players of wasting time late on in order to maintain their 3-2 lead.
‘Before the league started, we had to listen for an hour to a talk about what the spirit of the league was and the spirit of the league was not seen today,’ Martino continued.
‘There was a team that did not want to play. In each situation of a throw-in, of a goal kick, of a foul, permanently wasted time with the collaboration of a referee, who took 30 seconds to write down the shirt number of the cautioned player.’
