“He’s Holding Back This Team” – Inter Miami Slumps as Lionel Messi & Luis Suarez Fire Blanks at Newell’s Old Boys Friendly; Fans React

Inter Miami’s pre-season tour officially comes to an end. Moments ago, the Herons played their final club friendly against Newell’s Old Boys. In a surprising turn of events, the MLS side was held by the Argentinian side at DRV PNK Stadium to a 1-1 scoreline. As word of the draw spreads, the spotlight has turned to Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, with soccer fans blasting the duo for failing to score.

Both sides desperately tried to break the deadlock, but sadly, the first half had no goals. As the second half began, both teams made some changes for the next 45 minutes. Yet, goals didn’t come from either side, which forced Tata Martino to sub off Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez in the 60th minute. Interestingly, as soon as the star duo left the pitch, substitute Shanyder Borgelin finally opened the scoring for the Florida-based club. However, just when Miami thought it was over, Newell’s rose from the ashes as Mauricio Larriera’s side equalized in the 83rd minute. 

This is the 2nd draw for Inter Miami in its 7 pre-season matches. While some are upset, others are furious with Messi and Suarez failing to score.

This netizen has urged Messi to hang up his boots!

A cheeky dig, as this fan has found the exact problem that Inter Miami faced.

A fan claimed that no big soccer names are needed and preferred growing the ‘old fashioned way‘.

Fingers are being raised at Messi for ‘holding back‘ the Herons.

Once again, Inter Miami failed to convince their fans, one deemed it ‘dismal‘.

‘TATA out!‘, claimed a netizen.

A lot of work is to be done.

A humble request from a disappointed fan.

Although it was merely a friendly contest, fans hoped Messi and Suarez would lead their side to a victory. Today’s result raises questions about whether Inter Miami is even ready for the 2024 MLS season. 

READ MORE: Real Madrid Legend’s Son Federico Redondo Will Join Lionel Messi at Inter Miami After $8M Deal Confirms Argentinos Juniors Exit: Reports

Problems persist for Lionel Messi and Inter Miami

The pre-season tour should be an eye-opener for Inter Miami. What was anticipated to be a warm-up drill for the impending MLS season turned out to be no less than a nightmare. In 7 matches, they lost 4, drew 2, and won just 1. Things have become more unfortunate for Tata Martino as they’ve lost key first-team players due to injuries that were sustained in these matches.

Both Messi and Suarez bear significant responsibility, and failure to prove themselves could spell trouble for David Beckham and Co. With the MLS season kicking off on February 22, they have no choice but to reflect quickly on their shortcomings. It’s evident they’re lacking in various areas, and substantial defensive and offensive work is needed before the season commences. Otherwise, Inter Miami could get sucked into a downward spiral if the current trend persists.

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