“There is no one in this locker room who is afraid of Inter Miami” – Nashville coach makes confident claim ahead of facing Lionel Messi in final
Nashville coach Gary Smith is undaunted by the prospect of facing Lionel Messi when his team square up against Inter Miami in the upcoming Leagues Cup final.
Messi has propelled Miami to the title round of the competition, scoring in every game, registering nine goals and one assist in six outings. Such has been Messi's brilliance that Miami, who have never previously won any major trophy, are now one win away from winning the Leagues Cup.
Smith is wary of the threat posed by Messi and his teammates and respects them for their run. However, he has also said that nobody in his camp is scared about the prospect of facing Messi in the final (as reported by Essentially Sports):
“There is no one in this locker room who is afraid of Inter Miami, but there is respect for the players they have, like Messi."
Nashville face Miami on Saturday (August 19) at the Geodis Park in Nashville, Tennesse.
Lionel Messi hits the ground running at Inter Miami
When Lionel Messi left Barcelona in the summer of 2021, many fans and pundits were vary of how the Argentine captain would fare in a different environment. He had after all played the entirety of his professional career at Barca until then.
Messi signed for Paris Saint-Germain that summer. He took his time to settle at the new club, enduring a slow season by his lofty standards. Come the 2022-23 season, though, Messi showed his brilliance once again, registering 41 goal contributions (21 goals, 20 assists) in as many games across competitions.
His highlight of the season came at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where he won the trophy, registering seven goals and three assists in seven games.
Many assumed that having won it all, Messi would lose his drive for the game, which has seen him dominate European football for more than a decade. However, a genius free-kick winner on his debut was followed by seven goals and one assist in the next five games.
That has reassured fans that even at 36, Lionel Messi is still very much at the top of his game.