Atlanta United coach Gonzalo Pineda has admitted that Lionel Messi made the Five Stripes struggle in Inter Miami’s 4-0 rout against the MLS side.
Speaking to Argentine outlet JS, the 40-year-old manager revealed that mistakes cost Atlanta the game as Messi bagged a brace and an assist in his first-ever start for Inter Miami, alongside Sergio Busquets.
Atlanta got off to a horror start after going 3-0 down in the opening half before Robert Taylor rounded off the scoring in the 53rd minute, with Thiago Almada missing a late penalty to keep Inter Miami’s shutout intact.
It was a night to forget for Atlanta as the MLS giants now face elimination from the Leagues Cup if they fail to beat Cruz Azul on Sunday, with pressure now growing on Pineda having lost their last three games in all competitions.
With Inter Miami now through to the round-of-32, Atlanta will be hopeful of joining the Florida side in the next phase of the Leagues Cup, though Pineda was far from happy from his side’s performance.
Pineda said: “We had some chances to change the course of the game but we couldn’t take advantage of them. We struggled and made mistakes that you can’t allow against a player like Lionel Messi.”
Atlanta United saw the new Inter Miami at their best
Few would have expected Inter Miami to gel so quickly with their new superstar signings, yet given how easy Atlanta made it for the Herons, it’s perhaps no real surprise.
Atlanta midfielders and defenders were criticized for their lack of pressure on players such as Messi and Busquets, who both found it too easy to exploit space in the final third and to create chances.
With Luis Suarez potentially on the way and Jordi Alba yet to make his debut, Inter Miami could soon dominate MLS if teams don’t get up to scratch, with Atlanta the first victims.
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