Sacha Kljestan has claimed that Inter Miami be thriving without Lionel Messi having won six of their last seven games in MLS.
The Herons have enjoyed quite the summer without their club captain, who won the Copa America with Argentina but ended the tournament injured after twisting his ankle, with Messi showing up at Chase Stadium on Saturday in a protective boot.
With Luis Suarez and Matias Rojas back, though, Inter Miami have more than enough firepower to thrive in MLS, which is exactly what’s happened this summer, even with the Herons suffering a club-record 6-1 loss to FC Cincinnati.
And Kljestan has hinted that Inter Miami have flourished without Messi in their ranks.
Inter Miami now the form team in MLS despite Messi absence
Writing for MLS’s official website, the league legend hailed Inter Miami for their current form and how they’ve managed to cope without Messi, who before heading to the Copa America was easily the best player in the division.
Few would have predicted Inter Miami to thrive as much as they have without Messi, yet the Herons and Tata Martino are proving just that, with the Florida franchise in the driving seat for the Supporters’ Shield.
Kljestan wrote on Inter Miami’s form this summer without Messi: “No team enters the All-Star Game feeling better than Inter Miami, who lead the overall table with 53 points. The Herons have won six of their last seven, all without Lionel Messi.
“He was busy winning Copa America and then unfortunately injured his ankle in the final. But it hasn’t mattered, as head coach Tata Martino has dealt with missing players all season and keeps this team ticking. Inter Miami will enter the final sprint as definite favorites to lift their first-ever Supporters’ Shield.
Messi will be pleased with the Herons’ form without him
As we all know by now, Messi isn’t a player who is going to get hung up on his team doing well even when he isn’t on the pitch, a quality that has made the Argentine as great as he is in the game.
And even with the attacker set to miss a good amount of action, the 37-year-old will be pleased to see Inter Miami do so well without him this summer, with the Herons proving that they’re more than just the Messi team in MLS.
Indeed, Inter Miami winning without Messi has been a huge sticking point for the Herons in the last 12 months, yet the Florida franchise are now showing that they can do just that with their incredibly deep squad.