da imperador bet： The Herons lost their cool against Monterrey in a match that served as a harsh reminder of just how hard this process will be
da dobrowin： Playing soccer with your friends is really, really fun, so you can understand why Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets have been enjoying the Inter Miami experience. You've seen the photos of the ex-Barcelona stars together; laughing, smiling, having a good time, and rightfully so. These four created so many memories together and, now in the twilight of their careers, they have the opportunity to create a few more.
Wednesday night was not one of those fun, happy memories, though. Inter Miami's trip to Monterrey wasn't one full of smiles and laughs. It was embarrassing in ways that Messi and co. aren't particularly used to. Barcelona rarely gets outclassed the way Inter Miami was on Wednesday, and Messi and friends rarely have been humbled in the way they were in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
It was a harsh reminder that these matches aren't all fun and games. By the end, Inter Miami's stars seemed to have learned that, having lost their heads throughout the 3-1 drubbing
The defeat ensured Miami's continental run was over for 2024, and all involved will take some sort of blame for that. How will they bounce back from such an embarrassing defeat? Well, that may very well define their season.
GettyThroughly beaten
There was reason for hope heading into Wednesday's second leg. Having narrowly lost 2-1 in the first, Miami had Messi back from injury. David Ruiz's red card doomed them in that opening leg, one played without the Argentine. But with Messi back in the XI, Monterrey would have their hands full.
It didn't go that way. Not even close, as Rayados never had to sweat. An early gaffe from Inter Miami goalkeeper Drake Callender allowed the hosts to increase their lead, and they never looked back. By the 64th minute, it was 3-0 and the atmosphere had turned into a party. Fans were chanting "Ronaldo" at Miami's players, no doubt adding even more frustration by celebrating Messi's biggest rival.
The visitors got a consolation goal late, but that didn't matter much; the damage had already been done. Some were resigned to the defeat, others fought back, but Inter Miami's exit was confirmed early and often by a ruthless Rayados side.
In many ways, Messi's supporting cast let him down. Callender's early mishap was a disaster, Nicolas Freire was spun around for the second goal, and Tomas Aviles' horrible pass directly led to Monterrey's third. On nights like this, Miami needed more out of their role players. The ex-Barcelona gang, though, wasn't without blame themselves.
AdvertisementGettyQuiet night for Messi
Messi did get his assist, as he teed up Diego Gomez late on with a fantastic free-kick, It was pinpoint, vintage Messi in a way. You can't place balls much better than that.
It didn't matter, though… not even in the slightest. The game was long gone, and Messi had been kept quiet during the most important moments of it.
By the end, Messi had just three shots, and completed 79 percent of his passes, outdone several times by terrible field conditions. He created just one chance, the Gomez goal, and was fouled just once as Monterrey had no problem herding the GOAT into safe positions.
With so much focus on Messi, Inter Miami's players often find ways to take advantage. Even on his off days, the Argentine can pull defenses apart, allowing his teammates to pounce. In Mexico, though, It never felt like that happened or was going to happen.
"It's a team sport," Julian Gressel said after the game. "It's not just Leo. It's all of us. We came here and played against a really good team, and ultimately we couldn't get it done."
Getty ImagesSuarez walks the line
If you've followed Suarez's career, meanwhile, you know that he's prone to… we'll call it bursts of anger. Famous for his goals, Suarez is also infamous for his temper, which he has lost several times in the most important moments.
Throughout Wednesday's match, you could see the temperature rising within Suarez, as he was clearly frustrated with everything going on. Save for one finish where he was miles offside, Monterrey had handled him.
The Uruguayan was lucky not to be punished for one incident that saw him grab the arm of defender Victor Guzman. After a battle between the two, Suarez clearly pinned Guzman's arm to his body and spun in a move that could have seriously hurt the defender. Fortunately for both players, in a sense, nothing came of it.
Suarez was bad-tempered throughout, as he chirped at opponents and referees. He got his yellow, and promptly yelled something right back at the official. He never fully lost his head, unlike one of his ex-Barcelona teammates.
Getty ImagesAlba loses his cool
Prior to Wednesday, Jordi Alba had been sent off just four times in his illustrious career. All four came in La Liga in a career that encompassed 386 matches and over 30,000 minutes.
In a four-minute span in Monterrey, though, Alba was sent for an early shower for just the fifth time in his career, and he certainly earned it. Just moments after committing a frustration foul to earn his first yellow, Alba stamped on the foot of Monterrey's Jesus Gallardo. Yellow number two came almost immediately, and Alba yelling back at the official, unsurprisingly, didn't help his case.
The left-back has largely been fantastic for Inter Miami since joining last summer, providing solidity to a defense that is so often Inter Miami's weak point. On Wednesday, he simply had a bad night.