“It worked really well” - New York City FC coach explains what his team did to stop Lionel Messi in 4-game unbeaten run vs Inter Miami
New York City head coach Nick Cushing has said that his plan to stop Lionel Messi has helped them go unbeaten against Inter Miami. He ensured that the top players never got time on the ball while his players stayed in position and didn't get drawn out of position.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Cushing claimed that Messi was the greatest player of all time and it was a challenge facing him. He added that the plan was simple and the same was deployed to deal with Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets as well. He said:
"We have played them four times now and not lost. When you play this game, you are not only facing the champions but everything that comes with it."
"There is extra motivation because they win most of the time but I am sure every coach for the last 15 years has tried something. This guy is the greatest, right? And you have Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets too. For us, it was about doing all our defensive work high up, keeping these guys as far away from our goal as possible, and when you have to defend the box, keeping the lines tight. Do not give them time to get their eyes up and find passes. It worked really well," Cushing added.
New York City FC have drawn three of the last four MLS meetings with Inter Miami with the same 1-1 scoreline. They defeated Lionel Messi's side in the Club Friendly last year and also in the league but that was before before the Argentine joined.
Nick Cushing learned from Lionel Messi's favorite coach Pep Guardiola
New York City head coach Nick Cushing spoke about his time under Pep Guardiola and admitted that he learned a lot. The 40-year-old revealed that Lionel Messi's favorite coach was obsessed about keeping possession and told Sky Sports:
"My biggest takeaway was around possession. Everyone talks about having 65 per cent of the ball but just having the ball does not mean you are a threat. How are you going to create chances when the opposition is organised? How do you develop the training to coach that, stitch it into your language?"
Lionel Messi played 219 matches under Pep Guardiola at Barcelona. The Argentine scored 211 goals in those games and added another 94 assists to his name.
The former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star will be in action on Saturday night (November 9) when Inter Miami take on Atlanta United in the MLS Cup playoff. New York City FC are also in action when they face FC Cincinnati.