By EFE
26 Oct 2024, 2:46 PM EDT
Gerardo Martinocoach of Inter Miami, was very satisfied this Friday after sealing the first postseason win of the team in pink against an Atlanta United that they had not yet managed to beat this year (2-1 in the match, 1-0 in the series).
“For us it is not a minor issue. We took an important step, it was the only team in our area that we had not been able to beat. That it arrives at this moment is very good,” said the Argentine at a press conference.
Despite the dominance of the match and the multiple opportunities, Inter had to suffer to defeat their rival and Martino is clear where the key was.
“It was a match where what I liked most was the control we had almost throughout the match. We didn’t have so many losses that caused the rival to leave. They had one in the first one that happened very close to the post. We were patient and, if not for Brad Guzan, the game should have ended with a few more goals difference“, he said.
“We had no untimely losses. In the tie we did not suffer, the rival did not come to the spaces. We lacked aggressiveness in defending the ball in the development of the play, Lobjanidze came in fully and found the back of the defense well. We had many scoring chances, Brad played a great game and scored many goals.“He commented with self-criticism.
What was seen on the pitch invited us to think more about a local win that did not happen instead of such a close match on the field.
“We played 70% of the game on 50 meters of offensive court. I think we did well because we had a lot of scoring situations. “We felt frustrated at halftime because inexplicably we were 1-1,” said the coach.
The stars, always present
Luis Suárez’s early goal helped, Lionel Messi was always dangerous and the exchange of positions between the two was part of the game plan.
“They move freely and Luis can be in front and Leo in the back or vice versa. When it is a ball that we have to jump lines, it is more logical that Luis is the one who comes to pivot, and when the team has high possession, we surely need to find Leo more as a passer because there is less space and “He has the precision to find those very small spaces.”he detailed.
The one who remains the lung of the team and knife in the offensive is the winger Jordi Alba, who scored tonight and whom his coach put on a par with the best in history.
“It is not easy to find full-backs who have so much participation and so much certainty in the team’s offensive game. We should go to Alves, Cafú, Marcelo, Roberto Carlos… I think technically he is of a quality that is rare to see in a side. It is increased by the understanding he has with Luis and Leo and how to find them. Also how they find Jordi. “It is difficult to find a player in his position who is so decisive,” he said.
The locker room reacts to bad starts
Paraguayan Diego Gómez spoke on behalf of the entire locker room when he recognized that conceding so many goals at the start was a big problem and that they had the objective of eradicating it.
“Today we were able to score a goal as quickly as possible, they tied us at the end of the first half but we won. We had talked about it, that it should not happen to us anymore because they always score goals against us in the first minute with our mistakes.. We always talk about it, that we should not be stupid because they always make us first. Today was not like that and we have to continue improving”, he commented.
Diego Gómez’s position on the left of the attack makes him constantly come into play with an excellent Jordi Alba and the Paraguayan also praised the Spaniard.
“I have never seen a player with that quality that Jordi has, he is the best left back in the world. “I am enjoying the players I have here, in every training session and in every game,” he stated.
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