Suarez scores, makeshift Inter Miami team — minus Messi — ties New York City FC
Argentine star Lionel Messi and team co-owner David Beckham watched from field level suites Saturday night as a makeshift Inter Miami lineup played against New York City FC with passion and purpose that were missing the previous weekend in a rout by New York’s other team, the Red Bulls.
It wasn’t enough to pull off a home victory, the men in pink settled for a 1-1 tie, but coach Tata Martino was in a much better mood than he was a week earlier. The team remains in second place in the Eastern Conference with three wins, two losses and two ties.
“The team had new life and intensity, so I was satisfied with the effort and the game,” Martino said. “Certainly, the weather conditions in New York were atypical, but the reality is both teams had to deal with that, and both teams had players missing. I had never felt in the nine months that I’ve been here the disappointment that I felt leaving that game last Saturday.
“That is why I was pleased with what the team did in this game. We played well, created lots of chances and I feel the New York City goalkeeper was the man of the match. We wanted to win, but I did detect a big change in our intensity.”
There was concern, with the opening leg of the Champions Cup quarterfinal against Mexico’s Monterrey
looming next Wednesday, that Inter Miami would rest starters and overlook the game Saturday against an NYC team that is second-to-last in the East with just one win. Neither happened.
Sergio Busquets, Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba all played the full 90 minutes. Martino explained that they had plenty of time to rest all week. He added that Messi’s and Nico Freire’s availability for the Monterrey game Wednesday will be decided on Tuesday, after three more days of evaluation.
Messi missed his third game in row with a hamstring injury.
“The game Wednesday is against a very important team, but we have to think of the whole year, not just one game and we don’t want to take unnecessary risk,” Martino said. “If we have to, we will wait a bit longer. I am not saying they are out, just saying we need to keep evaluating them.”
Suarez lived up to his El Pistolero (The Gunslinger) nickname, scoring his teamleading seventh goal of the year on a header from the center of the box off a Julian Gressel free kick in the 14th minute. It was Suarez’s fifth goal in seven MLS games and his seventh goal overall, including the two he scored in Champions Cup games. He also leads Miami with five assists.
Pink fireworks filled the night sky above the north stands as the passionate “La Familia” supporter groups