Messi unsure for Concacaf Champions Cup second leg

INTER MIAMI’s head coach, Javier Mascherano, in the absence of Lionel Messi, said his experienced players provided guidance for the younger team members as they eased a 2-0 win over Jamaica’s Cavalier FC in the first leg of the round-of-16 Concacaf Champions Cup tie at the Chase Stadium in Florida on Thursday night.

The teams will meet in the second leg on Thursday, March 13 at the National Stadium.

Speaking after the game Mascherano explained that Messi’s playing status is considered day to day.

“We have to understand that everyone is different. For us, obviously, when we don’t have Leo, we feel it. But I think the old guys in this case, Busi (Sergio Busquets), Jordi (Jordi Alba), Luis (Luis Suarez) and also Oscar (Oscar Ustari), people with experience, they are helping us a lot in trying to push the young players, trying to be close to them, pushing them to improve, to grow up. I think they are doing a big job,” Mascherano said.

Asked about Messi’s absence after he missed his team’s last two games and the uncertainty of him travelling to Jamaica, Mascherano said injuries are not the reason.

“It is day to day. The doctors have told me that he has no injury. He is fatigued from having played three games in six days, from changes of the weather and a lot of other situations,” Mascherano said. “Now we want to take care of him and not to aggravate that fatigue. Obviously not having the best player in the world is complicated. We will have to take a step forward and learn how to play without him,” he added.

According to Cavalier’s head coach Rudolph Speid, his players were not disappointed at not getting the opportunity to play against the man rated by many as the world’s best player.

“It was not disappointing to the team. We didn’t come to play Lionel Messi, we came to play Inter Miami,” Speid said.

In Thursday’s game Inter Miami were the overwhelming favourites to win but the Caribbean Cup Champions Cavalier were no pushovers. Both teams had a fairly quiet first half. Inter Miami dominated the possession 75 to 25 per cent but there were no shots on target from either team. Cavalier, however, saw a deflected shot from Jalmaro Calvin hit the right upright and rebounded into play. Then they had what they thought was a goal in the seventh minute of first half injury time but it was disallowed after a player was in an offside position in the build-up.

After their below-par first half, Inter Miami reorganised and were able to score in the 61st minute courtesy of Tadeo Allende from inside the box. In the 83rd minute, Suarez placed a shot, from almost the same spot, to inside the far post to complete the scoring.

“We now know what we have to do in the second leg,” Speid said. “Usually when you only have one choice, it is a bit easier. We have to score the first goal, so we know that is what we have to do in Jamaica in the second leg.”