Inter Miami secured a 3-1 victory over Nashville SC on Saturday, but coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino’s joy was tempered by another injury setback.
Lionel Messi continued his impressive form, scoring twice and adding an assist, but midfielder Diego Gómez suffered an ankle injury in the first half and was taken to hospital for evaluation.
Martino lamented the team’s growing injury list, which now includes nine players, including veterans Jordi Alba and Facundo Farias. He criticized Major League Soccer’s roster restrictions, which limited his options for replacing Gómez.
“We would like to compete with a full squad,” Martino said. “MLS’s strict rules make it difficult to manage injuries. We had to use rookies to fill the gaps, which affects our ability to make other signings.”
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Despite the challenges, Inter Miami remains atop the Supporters’ Shield standings, a significant improvement from last season’s playoff miss.
“We’re accumulating points, which is our main objective,” Martino explained. “The second half of the season won’t be as stressful as last year, when our hopes hinged on a few winning streaks.”
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Messi’s performance was a bright spot. He now has nine goals and eight assists in nine games this season. He also set up Sergio Busquets’ first goal for the club since joining last July.
“I’m happy to score and contribute,” said Busquets. “We need to keep working hard to achieve our goals.”
