First-year Inter Miami CF coach, Gerardo “Tata” Martino is preparing his team for its showdown with Cruz Azul in Leagues Cup 2023.
In the first training sessions he had with Lionel Messi, the coach saw him “enthusiastic” and assured, “I found a Messi with the usual desire to win, but more relaxed”.
Martino has coached Messi in Barcelona and the Argentine national team, and now he’s in charge for Messi’s newest chapter playing as a ten for Inter Miami CF.
"They are beautiful achievements, and they are all different,” he told the Argentine media outlet TyC Sports, regarding Argentina's Copa América title, the Finalissima win and especially the World Cup in Qatar 2022.
“I find him with the same desire as always, but in another mode and much more relaxed with everything that has happened with the Argentina in recent years,” he said. "It was a very big weight that he had on top of him and taking it off has transformed him on a day-to-day basis."
Despite Messi posting on his Instagram account that this Friday could be his debut for Inter Miami CF against Cruz Azul for Leagues Cup 2023, Martino preferred to be cautious about Messi's debut, as well as that of Sergio Busquets.
"I'm not ruling out Leo's debut, but I have to see him one more training session, also see how he feels, both he and Busquets,” he said. “They both arrived very well, we can expect to see you guys on Friday but I don't want to rush into saying something I can't deliver.”
Instead, the coach talked about the moments prior to Messi’s signing.
"We began to talk about him and about other options that were available because we needed to make additions that would improve the squad,” he said. “Between injuries and players who were leaving, some in the Gold Cup, we had a slightly reduced squad.”
With this in mind, the club's leadership got to work and put together a team with several stars who have arrived and want to compete in all the remaining tournaments this season, including one of the most important, Leagues Cup 2023.
Inter Miami FC vs Cruz Azul
MLS and LIGA MX have paused their regular season to kick off the Leagues Cup 2023 this Friday, July 21. Opening night includes five matches but Inter Miami CF vs.Cruz Azul will receive the most attention. The match kicks off at 8:00 p.m. ET (6:00 p.m. CDMX) at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale and will be available to watch live on AppleTV+
Both clubs come into Leagues Cup 2023 in poor form. Cruz Azul lost its first three matches of the 2023 Apertura. Inter Miami CF has gone winless in its last eleven matches (0-8-3) and hasn’t won a match since a 2-1 win over New England Revolution on May 13th.
