"Time for him to move to Saudi League", "Barely an athlete" - Inter Miami fans want Lionel Messi's teammate sold after Atlanta United loss
Inter Miami fans on X have criticized Lionel Messi's former Barcelona teammate Luis Suarez after he struggled in their 2-1 defeat against Atlanta United. The two sides faced off in the second game of their first-round MLS Cup playoff series at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Saturday, November 2).
The Herons broke the deadlock in the 40th minute after Hector Martinez took full advantage of Brad Guzan's error in goal to chip the ball into the back of an open goal. However, Atlanta leveled the scores in the 58th minute via Derrick Williams's commanding header. Both sides struck the woodwork soon after but the hosts grabbed a late winner through Xande Silva (90+4') to shock Lionel Messi and Co.
Tata Martino entrusted Suarez to lead the attack with the Uruguayan playing all 90 minutes. However, the 37-year-old landed just one shot on target from three attempts, missing one big chance in the process. Moreover, he lost three duels and created just one chance.
Suarez has had an excellent campaign for Inter Miami to date, scoring 25 goals and providing 12 assists in 35 appearances across all competitions. Despite this, one fan reckons he needs to leave the MLS and join the Saudi Pro League:
"It’s time for Luis Suarez to move to Saudi league, He isn’t good for a competitive league anymore."
Another fan tweeted:
"Suarez is barely an athlete lol."
Check out other fan reactions below:
"We ain’t ready for this discussion but Suarez is washed since 2017 not 21," one fan commented.
"I love Suarez but he cannot start for Inter Miami," another added.
"He kept trying to dribble past players on the left side but ended up losing the ball every time. It was so frustrating to watch him tonight," one fan tweeted.
"Both him and Messi unfortunately. They simply can’t be on the same team against tough teams when the team needs more legs," another fan tweeted.
"He struggles to hold onto the ball," another chimed in.
How did Lionel Messi fare during Inter Miami's 2-1 loss against Atlanta United?
Lionel Messi's Inter Miami suffered a shock 2-1 defeat at the hands of Atlanta United in the second fixture of their first-round MLS Cup playoff series. The series is now tied 1-1 after the Herons won the first game 2-1 on October 26. The two sides will face off in the decider on Saturday, November 9.
Many fans expected Lionel Messi to be on the top of his game on Saturday. The 37-year-old has had a brilliant season for Inter Miami, when fit, garnering 22 goals and 13 assists in 23 appearances across competitions.
Unfortunately, Lionel Messi wasn't able to apply his finishing touch against Atlanta, failing to land any of his three shots on target. However, to his credit, he created five chances, won six duels, and completed 50 passes from an attempted 58 with an accuracy of 86 percent. He was given a match rating of 7.6 for his efforts (via FotMob).
Disclaimer: The above stats were taken from FotMob on 3rd November 2024 at 12:50 PM IST. They are subject to change as per the platform's prerogative.