"The guys did a wonderful job tonight of blocking his passing lanes" - Nashville coach lauds his side for containing Inter Miami captain Lionel Messi
Nashville SC boss Gary Smith paid tribute to the Boys in Gold defense for keeping Lionel Messi at bay in their 0-0 MLS draw against Inter Miami on Wednesday (August 30).
Inter Miami, who had won each of their nine games across competitions since Messi's arrival, hoped to take the streak to double digits against Nashville at home on Wednesday. However, things did not go to plan, as the Tenneesse-based club held Gerardo Martino's side to a 0-0 draw.
Nashville, thus, became the first team to keep a clean sheet against Inter Miami since La Pulga joined them. The Boys in Gold also ended his run of scoring or assisting in every game he has played for the Florida-based club. He bagged 11 goals and three assists in his first nine matches for the Herons.
Nashville's defensive resilience filled the team's head coach Smith with pride, as he tipped his hat to his players for containing Messi and Miami. He said that his side would be one of the few teams that would succeed in keeping Martino's side at bay. He told reporters (h/t The Athletic):
"There are not going to be too many teams coming to this place and to be able to limit this Miami group to as little as we have tonight. It was a resounding display without the ball. Guys fulfilled their roles to an absolute optimum and more. It was obvious when I walked into that locker room how much some of these guys put into the game."
The Nashville boss acknowledged Messi's ability to create opportunities out of nothing and lauded his players for cutting the left-footed maestro's passing lanes. He said:
"We expected to concede possession. Lionel Messi can carve an opportunity out of nothing. The guys did a wonderful job tonight of blocking his passing lanes and (handling) that really bright and purposeful attack that Miami has."
The draw against Nashville marked the first time Miami have failed to win a game (including penalty shootouts) with Messi.
How did Lionel Messi fare against Nashville?
Lionel Messi, 36, made his first MLS start for Inter Miami against Nashville on Wednesday. Despite failing to score or assist for the first time since joining the Herons, he was one of the best players on the pitch. No player across both teams received a higher rating than him (8.0) on Sofascore.
The Argentinian had seven shots, of which two were on target and five were blocked. He registered 93 touches of the ball (fourth-highest in the game), although he lost possession 25 times. He also completed five of seven dribbles attempted.
Furthermore, Lionel Messi completed 52 passes, including one long ball, with 80% accuracy. It included 13 passes into the final third, of which two led to chances. He won eight of 14 duels competed in, while also winning three fouls for his side.