The former USMNT forward highlighted the Argentine's demanding standards and the growing pressure on the star-studded team to deliver results
Gomez points to Messi's frustration when teammates don’t meet his levelsNotes contrast between typically composed demeanor and recent reactionsInter Miami faces Minnesota United next in MLSGet the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowGetty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED
Despite Inter Miami’s recent 4-1 win over the New York Red Bulls, their Argentine superstar Lionel Messi didn't appear to be happy at the end of the game. That was showcased by his storm off the field after the final whistle, and Herculez Gomez believes it’s because he’s frustrated with his teammates. The former USMNT and MLS star asserted that the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner expects a certain standard from his teammates and is now expressing his frustration when he doesn’t get it.
“Messi is on the field, and I was talking about this when you are watching the game, away from the TV, at the stadium, you can see the movement off the ball, on the ball,” Gomez said on . “But you can also see the lack of (movements), and you can also see the lack of understanding, and you can also see the frustration. Messi is by far the best player on the field, and that is evident. What is also evident is the urgency in which Messi desperately needs more help."
He added, “Messi gets the ball, he plays it, and he already understands who he can play it to, and he’ll run off that and his run, or the pace of that run, will be determined by who he gives it to. If he gives it to one of the 'Messi’s friends,' Alba, Busquets, or Luis Suarez, he knows that there’s the capacity to return that play to him, and there’s a little more effort and purpose to the run. And oftentimes when he gives it to another player, he waits cause he knows that’s probably not going to get there."
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The ESPN analyst also added that there’s a visible frustration that’s now evident whenever Messi does things second nature and his teammates struggle to respond in like.
“He tries to play a pass, a quick one-two to Fafa Picault, and Fafa Picault gets it stuck between his feet, and you can see Messi just frustrated," Gomez explained. "There’s a certain not frustration but fed up, he’s annoyed with how things are going. I don’t think he quite expected this heading into Inter Miami, and the recent failures are being magnified."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Inter Miami have endured a tough couple of weeks as they were knocked out of the CONCACAF Champions Cup after a comprehensive 5-1 defeat at the hands of the Vancouver Whitecaps. Not only that, they also lost 4-3 to FC Dallas, which saw the club lose not once but thrice in the space of a week. It marked the first three losses for Inter Miami this season, although they bounced back with a 4-1 win over the New York Red Bulls on May 3.
Getty Images SportWHAT’S NEXT?
Following their victory over the Red Bulls, Lionel Messi and Inter Miami sit fourth on the Eastern Conference table with 21 points after 10 league games. They are only three points behind the league leaders in the Columbus Crew and face Minnesota United next on May 9, which is then followed by another away game against the San Jose Earthquakes on May 14.