LA Galaxy Star Takes Swipe at Lionel Messi After Late Equalizer – “Don’t Defend”

Moments ago, Inter Miami snatched a draw from the jaws of defeat against the LA Galaxy. Lionel Messi came to the rescue at the eleventh hour, as he spoiled the party for the 10-man Galaxy. While the Herons’ fanbase commends the injury-time efforts from La Pulga, a rival has taken a dig at Messi by insisting that La Galaxy was a ‘a little shy today’ in scoring goals.

As per journalist Favian Renkel, LA Galaxy skipper Maya Yoshida made a bold claim in the post-match press conference. The Japanese center-back acknowledged that his teammates could have taken advantage of the lack of defending from both Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez. Yoshida said, “Messi and Suarez, don’t defend, we could have distributed a little more. We were a little shy today.” Perhaps Greg Vanney’s side was focused more on Miami’s star duo, which prohibited them from capitalizing on the chances. 

Notably, the Galaxy took 24 shots, 9 of which were on target, surpassing Miami’s 5 shots on target out of 11 taken. However, despite this, Martino’s side maintained the majority of possession, with 64%. Likewise, pressure mounted early on the home side, with youngster Riqui Puig missing the penalty in the opening 15 minutes. Had the former Barcelona star scored from the spot, then Miami would have gone home without any points. Luckily, Messi and Alba’s beautiful link-up saved the day for Inter Miami. Speaking of the game, Tata Martino might have delivered bad news regarding Luis Suarez.

Tata Martino might drop the attacking partner of Lionel Messi in the next game

Despite starting alongside Lionel Messi, Suarez fell short of finding the net, leading Martino to replace him with Leonardo Campana. Additionally, the Uruguayan also found himself under scrutiny. Remarkably, Martino brought up the Uruguayan striker’s lackluster performance during the press conference. He said that Inter Miami had a weak first half with Galaxy dominating. However, there was some improvement and fluidity in the latter half. 

READ MORE: Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi Emerges as America’s Most Popular Athlete; Tops Poll Ahead of Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Tiger Woods & Others

Martino attributed the impact of the substitutes in the second half who improved the game. Either way, this statement by the former River Plate manager implies that players who were substituted, including Suarez, may find themselves starting from the bench in the forthcoming fixture. While viewed as a significant setback for Suarez, there is a silver lining in this situation. It will undoubtedly provide the former Liverpool star with sufficient rest to stage a comeback in the upcoming match.

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