Messi, Inter Miami regroup, head to Puerto Rico after 3-0 opening loss to LAFC
Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami teammates were back to work on a chilly Tuesday morning, eager to rebound from a disappointing 3-0 loss on the road to LAFC in the MLS season opener over the weekend.
Winger Mateo Silvetti was absent from the portion of the training session media was allowed to watch, but no reason was given. Silvetti started and played 81 minutes in Saturday’s game before being replaced by Luis Suarez.
The team’s next league game is at Orlando City on Sunday in a clash of the state rivals, but first, Inter Miami will head to Puerto Rico to play a rescheduled friendly against Ecuadorian club Independiente del Valle at Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium in Bayamón. The match, originally set for Feb. 13, was postponed due to a muscle injury sustained by Messi.
Miami defender Maxi Falcon said the team has moved on from the weekend loss and is working to correct mistakes. Reinforcing the defense was a key objective this offseason, especially with the retirement of Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, but the team looked vulnerable in the counterattack.
“We lost 3-0, and the first two goals were due to our errors which are fixable,” Falcon said after practice Tuesday. “We had control of the ball much of the match, they waited in back, and it worked out for them because they have very talented players with speed and they hurt us there in transition.
“But it’s just the first game. It’s never good to lose, everyone wants to win, but we have to take the positive out of it, too. It’s very early in the year and we have time to correct what we did wrong.”
He added that the friendly match in Puerto Rico will be useful to integrate the players who recently joined the team.
Inter Miami also struggled on offense with just three shots on goal despite 68% possession.
Messi, as well as new $15 million forward German Berterame, were held scoreless. Messi made headlines after the match when a video circulated of him following referees into an LA Coliseum hallway before Suarez guided him away to prevent further confrontation.
MLS refuted reports that Messi gained unauthorized access to the officials’ locker room. The league found that he did not violate league policy and the incident will not be taken up with the MLS Disciplinary Committee.
Chris Rivett, Professional Referee Organization director of communications, confirmed that Messi did not enter the locker room. “After speaking with match officials, we can confirm he did not enter the premises,” Rivett said.
The door Messi went through was not in a restricted area. The referee locker room is up a set of stairs and has its own set of designated doors and signage restricting entry.
Falcon jersey swap with Son Heung-Min
Falcon said he and his wife are longtime fans of LAFC’s South Korean star Son Heung-Min, that he always seemed humble, so he asked him to swap jerseys.
“With my limited English I asked him and he said, `No problem,’’’ Falcon said, smiling. “After giving me the shirt, he hugged me and wished me success and a safe trip home. You could tell what type of person he is because he also took time to greet many people and was last to the locker room.”
Inter Miami, Publix renew partnership
Inter Miami on Tuesday announced a multi-year extension of its longstanding partnership with Publix supermarkets. Publix will feature prominently at the new Miami Freedom Park stadium as the terrace entitlement partner for the “Publix Terrace”, a dedicated space designed to enhance the match day atmosphere. Publix will also maintain a strong presence at Inter Miami CF Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, with permanent branding on the Southeast stand and concourse known as the “Publix Corner”.