LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) – Gary Smith, the manager of Nashville, believes that Lionel Messi’s instrumental role in Inter Miami’s League Cup triumph brought about a substantial “transformation.“
The 36-year-old showcased his exceptional form for Inter Miami, and he even initiated the scoring in the final with an impressive curved shot into the top-left corner, bringing his total to 10 goals in seven games.
Although his goal didn’t secure an outright win in regular time, Inter Miami triumphed in a tense penalty shootout with a final score of 10-9.
Smith was well aware of the challenge that his Nashville team faced, but he found it difficult to contain Messi, who, according to him, has brought about a “transformation” in Inter Miami since joining the team in Florida last month.
“It was always going to be a tough challenge heading into the game,” said the Nashville manager during a talkSPORT interview.
“Remarkably, over the last month and five weeks, Miami has undergone a transformation due to the addition of Messi, as well as [Sergio] Busquets and [Jordi] Alba. They’ve made a significant difference to the team.”
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He continued: “We knew it was going to be a difficult match, but our players delivered an outstanding performance.
“When a match goes to penalties and the goalkeepers become crucial, you understand that success often comes down to the finest margins.”
Smith did have a strategy to contain Messi, which limited his involvement with the ball. Nevertheless, the manager believed that the World Cup champion remained “unplayable” despite the few decisive moments he had during the game.
“During the match, he only had two goal attempts, and I’d estimate he touched the ball no more than eight or ten times. Yet, the unfortunate truth is that he becomes unplayable in those instances,” Smith explained.
“Our intention was, of course, to restrict his impact, but strangely enough, he managed to get hold of the ball due to peculiar circumstances—a deflection, and you’re familiar with the rest. His clinical ability is truly remarkable.”
Smith also noted, “In the games we analyzed leading up to our match, some of the teams here perhaps showed him a bit too much respect.”
Having clinched his 44th career title, Messi is scheduled to return to action with Inter Miami on Wednesday evening in the U.S. Open Cup semi-final against Cincinnati.