CONCACAF CHAMPIONS CUP PREVIEW! Can Messi & Inter Miami bounce back to advance to the quarterfinals?

[Applause] hello everyone and welcome to another episode of Messi and Co I am Ashley here with my amazing co-host Gian and we are here to have the official uh pregame preview for what is going to be an incredibly important match on Wednesday between Nashville SC and Inter Miami for a spot in the quarterfinals of the conaf Champions Cup Gian how are you doing my friends hello happy Monday happy Monday I'm doing good excited for this game coming up on Wednesday a huge game for us a nice opportunity as you said it in a conversation between us about a nice bounceback that it would be after this tough loss for us here at home our first loss at home against Montreal so I think that uh we got a bunch of ared players and we should be ready for Wednesday which should be a really exciting game that we're both actually going to be uh in attendance we'll both be covering from the Press Box for you we'll be making sure we get interviews uh done for you guys questions and all that sort of thing so happy excited and ready to get into it and start talking about uh what we can expect yeah absolutely and I mean we'll give we'll give people a couple minutes to trickle in but before we start talking about the preview since we didn't do a live stream yesterday after the U Montreal loss uh maybe we can just take a couple minutes to talk about our reactions to it I did I posted a reaction obviously on YouTube and on on Twitter about my feelings for the game make sure you check it out on the five reasons Sports YouTube channel uh it's also linked on Twitter but you know my overall thoughts to be brief was that I uh I thought I think that there's there's a fun fundamental issue that I'm worried about with the team which is that if Messi and Suarez don't play but especially Messi doesn't play We Are automatically set up to lose and that both Tata and the formation and the other players are just not setting ourselves up for success and that is going to be a big problem if it persists because like we said Messi is going to be playing in Copa America he cannot play every single game of the season even if there wasn't Copa America can't play every game of the season um neither can Suarez neither can buetts Etc um we have to be able to play without them and I'm worried that either from tactics or desire or just comfortability comfortability that we aren't up to the challenge so it was definitely a frustrating game yeah I mean it was a bit frustrating I think that we knew going into that game without Messi and how Reliant Messi or rather how Reliant in Miami has been on Messi and now with the addition of suades and knowing that suades most likely wasn't going to start which he didn't start he went in later on in the second half we knew that it was going to be a struggle because we really hadn't seen anybody else step up in their absence um and I mean Messi and Suarez how many times did they in this short season so far did they bail out inter Miami to make sure that even though maybe they didn't deserve to win or maybe they didn't show enough to to be um the clearcut deserving winner of the game they were making sure that inter Miami was still there till the very end fighting batting back getting a getting a tie or winning the game so I I expected the game to kind of be like this to T players start to try to figure out what you know what their roles are without those two on the field without buett on the field and I would say you know it does stink that we lost but I think that if I can take a positive out of that game it's that I still think that we had enough to win that game I think that that as Messi begins to miss more games with Copa America around the corner and other International duties that he's going to have Suarez possibly uh stepping out in others I think that we've kind of seen some guys shine um you know we spoke about Rondo man Rondo played a great game against Montreal the offense was flowing through him he did a lot of great things there Robert Taylor even though he didn't score he came close to scoring but he was the focal point of the offense and doing really well so yeah I think that if we can kind of look at it from a glass half full perspective these guys are starting to grow into the roles they're starting to figure themselves out and I think that as we move forward uh I I think that that this team will hopefully be able to deal with these moments where Messi and suades aren't available but yeah it was a bit frustrating but towards the end they kind of they found their footing and we almost tied almost won just that that lapse of what like three four five minutes or something where we got scored on twice referee yeah I I said it my it was one of the it was one of the worst refereeing performances I've seen in a very long time because you know people can say what they want about oh it's you know Pro versus second division or whatever the case be you learn how to referee time wasting in like college referee and so I don't I you know whether it's Nuance tackles or or heated moments you know people or Stars I understand that it gets a little bit more and harder to understand like you know as it as the game gets more difficult and and I wish that we had the MLS refs for sure but the blade and time wasting that started in the first half like in the first 10 minutes of the game by Montreal I thought it was just like an unbelievable Mistake by the referee that he just couldn't Rectify I mean the fact that the goalkeeper from Montreal didn't get a yellow card in the whole game is mindboggling to me and and I'm not going to blame you know it's the the team didn't play at the level they should have they waited too long I thought tataa made a lot of mistakes with the formations and uh I think that if you were going to bench Messi and buett and go and uh uh Suarez to also bench Gomez was silly like you can't just take out four of your most potent players at once you know especially Gomez is what 20 years old 21 years old I thought it was bad decision making and so it all added up to being obviously what it ended up as but yeah you know what's interesting though we we so we we asked um messing Co five reasons we were able to be in the press conference for D Martino and we asked them about that 5-32 formation we asked them whether that was something that was more out of need because Yedlin isn't with the team anymore yeah or was it something where he maybe thought that that was the lineup better suited for this game or is it something that maybe he likes more than the 433 to which he answered a big part of it is a need because they don't have a natural right back right now uh he also mentioned the name boat right and said that they do understand that he could play in that position but that he's really young right now and they don't know if he's ready necessarily for that responsibility in big games right so we're talking about like when you talk about big games you're talking about uh Thursday night in the cona Champions over in Nashville they didn't I they didn't know if he was ready for that responsibility hence why they went with that 532 and then same thing against Montreal first game at home they were unbeaten at home they wanted to continue down that that path and they just were unsure if Bo Wright could could um continue or Bo Wright could fill in for uh shoes at the moment but also he also mentioned that it was a strategic thing where he saw Montreal and he saw that the that the Wingers and and those that that the players that play mostly on the outside were they they were very much in on the attack and on the Counterattack they're very much involved and he wanted to make sure that they had an extra body to combat that so that was something that he mentioned which leads me to think in reality actually if we think about this like why did to get rid of I was I was literally just about to say to you that they had had we then then don't get rid of yedin if you don't have a right back ready and if you if you and you see the 433 is working and that is what you want to use and that's what you want to have a consistent Powerhouse team and you can't find a right back to replace him then don't do it or have a right or just get any right like get any right back who a natural right back you know you don't need to get you know the starter from like Barcelona I just it it it leads me it leads a lot of questions and like those excuses just I don't think that they're valid like if then don't get rid of the right back and and I thought you do have a natural right back in Julian gresle who Al Al he's been fantastic in the Midfield he can he can play right back David ruiz I thought did a very commendable job as right back uh like it's not worth it because the the way the whole entire play gets stunted and like I said in my postgame reaction every time that either Alba or Ruiz were able to get into a bit of space and take the ball up the wing there was only one pink shirt in the in the Box in the middle of the field surrounded by four or five Montreal shirts and it was Campana that was it I thought Robert Taylor had in his for his standards a poor game um obviously he had that goal opportunity and if the goal went in maybe we'd be saying something differently but it was it was his opportunity to be aggressive and to to take charge and to take shots and to make the defense uncomfortable and he didn't he played very timid and he he dribbled around a lot he didn't take shots he didn't try and make his s forceful and and look there's there's a lot of there's there's a lot of things I think went wrong with it and hopefully it's early enough in the season and you know it it hopefully shows what can be done but what I said yesterday and what I say now and what I mean wholeheartedly is that Tata Martino does not have the luxury of being able to have this mistake happen over and over again this season I feel very confident in saying that if they continue to lose every game that Messi doesn't play he's going to get fired because Messi is staying he has his contract he has his three best friends on the team with him and if even if he likes Tata and they are like Tata and they're comfortable with him doesn't matter they have to win now like the amount of money that the front office has invested and the amount that MLS has invested in ETC and the season ticket holders Etc they need to win this season multiple trophies and like there is no room for error and and I just think that his leash is much shorter than it was last year I mean yeah there's definitely a big responsibility on that shoulders uh I think that when you bring in players of the caliber of the four x barcelon players and then you're bringing in young talents like Redondo and then faras that unfortunately got injured and then um other young guys that I mean you this team on paper is probably the best team in MLS right now on paper and I think yeah I would agree with you in the sense of like that that definitely does have high expectations on him I don't know how much of a leash he has or or what I just know that I mean he's got about between he's got like three or four different things that he can win this season he's got to win at least two or three of them I think I think in four the first four like it was it was going well there was some bumps but they were able to smooth it over I just think that in terms of like you know when we get to let's say like June or July and you know we look like a completely different team without Messi and that we can't the players don't know where to go and that we keep losing and that we you know are things are going wrong I just think they'll fire him I really do I mean I I don't dislike him honestly but I think he's stubborn and I think some of the game has passed him by and that he's not as Innovative as other coaches and other situations and that when you have these this talent and the the you know the the parody of the league like it's not like other leagues where you have two or three teams that are like so much better than everyone else while yes in Miami is better than everyone else not by that much like not by such a margin where they can sleep walk through every game and so I think if he doesn't adapt and he doesn't understand that you know the 352 just isn't working and is not going to work with this Talent or this you know level of players it's gonna it's gonna bite him in the butt well but we can move on and I see the comment you know from Rock we have a lot to talk about but you know rock says what's the latest news on the RB position recruitment it's a really good question I mean I know that the backup from Boa Juniors uh is no longer an option because uh they wanted at least a million and Miami were not close to that number and so that's not going to happen so it will be interesting to see I think there was another player and I'm I'm forgetting who it was maybe you know Gian I know there was someone else they were starting to get in talks with but I I think that they're not quite there yet yeah unfortunately that fell through the the guy from Boa there's another guy I'm not exactly sure I think he's might be bwan too from South America a club in South America but right now it doesn't look like there's anything imminent so that's something to watch out for cuz yeah a huge need for us um so with that we were thinking what we can do now is just we've got a kind of five minutes or so of a preview or not a preview rather a replay of some of the uh gakov Champions highlights from the last game nationville versus Inter Miami so we kind of wanted just to walk through that that way it can kind of lead us into what to expect for next game we'll kind of see some of the the issues that we had um and then hopefully just move on from there so I'm going to go ahead and bring this up for you guys I know we're becoming tactical magicians here they're going to bring us into coach soon all right so let's go ahead and kind of take a look at the last game on Thursday in which Nashville and in Miami tied 22 so let's go ahead and and take a look at this Areo on Sam is yeah that's a game where Sam Serge actually didn't play and I thought it was going to make it easier on inter Miami but uh other players who ended up really being the the exactly shuberg ended up being like the real game changer for it and honey mdar who we would normally think would have been the game changer was not and it's you know just it just goes to show you any given day look so the first thing that we see here is obviously one of the things that a lot of teams are doing now against in Miami are playing on the Counterattack they're giving them full possession of the ball they're not worried about possession of the ball and they're just waiting to Counterattack on inter Miami as they've identified that Miami's defense is their biggest weak spot here um and then first off of the bat we see a counter attack here and Kristoff goes in lunges in to try to get the Stop and he completely like whiffs on that um and that I mean you can see right there that was terrible Redondo right there this was his first game um so he was still trying to find his footing but right here he was a little bit slow to he kind of let him pass him right here and because he does he then that that actually made aulus Aus should have been covering shuberg right here and then he had to step up because you know um Rondo wasn't able to step up correctly and that just leaves him wide open for the goal that I thought AES really didn't have a good game yesterday either so that's just just another just another thought I had but yeah that was it was a good goal wasn't on target that game unfortunately for us because he could have scored that I se we've seen him score a bunch on that one pretty amazing how effortless he makes it look when it's just you know the balls whizzing towards him leaning backwards unbalance first touch hits it curves it almost top ends so I'm gonna stop it here I wanted this is something I I was when I was watching the replays uh earlier today look at this this is uncharacteristic in my eyes uncharacteristic for Messi Messi has wide open on the right I think that's grle if I'm not mistaken and on the left was a Suarez Suarez I can't okay that's Suarez he had either he could have played the ball left to Suarez or he could have played the ball to the right yeah and this was very un uncharacteristic this should have been a goal I thought the same thing very that 100% was on Messi in this case it gives into Miami life so that was good look at that four Nashville players around him not even looking up and just knows exactly where to go think about that wait go pause pause and go back for a second yeah look at that when he gets the ball and the dribble he takes he does not look up from the from receiving the ball to shooting it and it going in he had not yet looked up at the goal wait yeah play it and wait until you see it from when it's from his angle keep going they show it from a different angle in a second just wait until you see look he doesn't look up he he dribbles dribbles shoots has yet to look up goaso that's just amazing didn't even look up but isn't it incredible I've been annoyed by some of the comments I've seen on this yeah look look I've seen so many comments that this isn't a foul this isn't a foul you don't know soccer you don't know ball and it it just doesn't make sense to me like look they said they said that he didn't see Messi that he was looking down the entire time for the clearance and that Messi got there late that's not right I mean you know why he runs like that you know why he runs like that where he he heares to get to the ball because he sees Messi's coming in he knew Messi was coming in to get the ball and what does he do he lunges like and look at his back foot this isn't natural unless you're lunging forward and you're trying like look at look at how his back foot um I don't even know what the word but look look yeah but look his back foot he starts to slide look look you see how he slides on his back foot that's a slide like trying to get to the ball slide clearance he knew Messi was there I play soccer and if I know I'm going on a 5050 ball I'm not gonna go in if I'm getting to the ball first I'm not GNA finish that play with cleats up that's not GNA happen because I'm not I don't want to injure the whoever's coming in on that 50-50 ball with me he goes straight in and keeps his cleats up he could have Tow bloed and gone to the side like Bro Look let me show you something hold on I'm going to show you something I'm and also I want want to say this you know two things could be true at the same time one thing can be true that in the very Split Second obviously his goal was not to break Messi's leg off like obviously that was and it was he was following through with this kick that can be true but at the same time it's a wless endangerment and that if they just let all those T oh my God here we go if you're gonna if you're gonna if I'm running if I'm running and I'm gonna and I'm going to go 50/50 on the ball right this is the ball right here I'm not going to go in and then just follow through like that I'm going to go in and go and then and then go to the right or like you can't you can't just go in like Fe up like that's ridiculous that is a a foul that should have been a red card like that I don't understand it's reckless endangerment it's reckless endangerment and that's the point like you know obviously split-second decisions happen and the follow through is quote unquote natural but if if everything was just based off of your natural instinct and you didn't have to have awareness about potentially injuring players then there wouldn't be red cards then there wouldn't be rules because I'm sure no one goes into a game or a moment going I really hope I break my opponent's leg I mean there's obviously a few crazies out there but that's not anyone's thing but still plenty of red cards get given out why because they're try it's player safety and it's trying to you know deter from The Reckless abandonment um and a red card at the very least a yellow card and the fact that it wasn't given either is obviously crazy no it was it was completely ridiculous I mean it's it's and again it's not to say that he meant to hurt him but that was irresponsible on his behalf you don't finish that play going cleat up and he very well 100% knew that Messi was on his left which is why he went in like that full speed and of a game yeah yeah hell of a game and uh look I know that there was a bit of frustration there especially with that lineup and not being able to come out with the win but when you go into a hostile environment in a kov Champions Cup in Nashville um and you're coming home with one point away from home coming back with two goals in Pocket because away away goals count extra in the case of a tiebreaker like this is as good a result as you could have asked for from from the guys here and and I'm just excited for for what's coming up on Thursday so uh yeah well Wednesday sorry on Wednesday so that's exciting um something I wanted to share in this press conference with thought that they asked him an interesting question well I believe this was Michelle Kaufman Michelle Kaufman asked him how a mess he was doing there was a lot of questioning around that especially after having seen that injury that injury and then even earlier on in the game as soon as he like two minutes in he was grabbing at his hamstring um there were a lot of questions seeing that also he didn't participate in practice he stayed to do gym work he didn't go out he didn't run on the field or any of that sort of stuff um and then again he wasn't even uh on the bench for Sunday's game T Martino said that they had already known for a week that he wasn't going to play on Sunday that that was the plan from the beginning which is so interesting because we talked so much about like the misdirection from inter Miami and the coaches and we don't know if he's gonna play K Morales was asked that question on Saturday after they had taken that Friday off after the game Saturday they had practice interview and they asked a question to Har Morales and he says we don't know yet if he's playing or not we're going to talk with him tonight he'll let us know how he's feeling and then we'll figure out if he's gonna play or not yeah and then taata says no we knew for a week like it's yeah you can't yeah that was silly you can't like we you can't predict these things with inter Miami Miami is like so like they throw so many misdirections they want to make sure that the that the opponents don't know who's going to play on a given night but I know it also makes it tough for fans right that's kind of the sucky part because you you're trying to figure out do I pay to go to the game do I not do I travel that sort of thing but I thought that that was interesting that he was always meant to to rest on Sunday from the very beginning and it looks like he's going to be ready to play I I have zero doubt in my mind that he's going to be ready and available and and I think we'll have our best 11 actually ready to play on Wednesday agreed but I what I unfortunately thing is going to happen is we're still going to play a 352 even with our best available 11 because he's just not GNA he's not going to put forth back he's just not I just he's not even if he should you think so really I'm sure of it yeah no he doesn't he doesn't trust Ruiz to be um a normal right back and he doesn't want gressle to have to play and he doesn't want to put boat right in that situation yet so um I think it's going to be probably the same lineup as we saw last week in Nashville same formation um which obviously to me is disappointing oh but it'll be it'll be Alba instead of uh it'll be Alba instead of Allen as left back but I think maybe you'll see Noah Allen as the third Center back in instead of Kristoff which I really hope because again it's no it's no shade to Kristoff but he is just so much slower than everybody else and when we're playing a uh Counterattack when when we know we're being susceptible to the Counterattack you just can't he's such a liability yeah no I mean uh black story I think that it's I think it's both in all honesty like I I think it's both I think tactically you it makes sense like you don't want to let your opponent know who's playing and this isn't the first time that coaches have done that and it's not in the only sport that they've done that they do that in basketball they do that in other sports but to your point I think it is also a business thing but that's not something Tata thinks about anyways and the coaches don't think about that that direction from the higher ups um but yeah they don't you know if uh Messi is not going to be there 100% that's GNA affect ticket sales uh but Sunday's game was was packed like that that was yeah it was still a great atmosphere and I mean in the second half especially when it became so like back and forth yeah um it was it was fun you know I can I make a crazy statement I think that yesterday if Gomez started instead of Sunderland think we would have won I think benching Gomez when benching the other three was really shortsighted of Tata because it just was unnecessary like I know he's still you know he was had some tightness and cramps a few weeks ago and he's you know he played a lot in the pre-olympic uh for for Paraguay but you needed to have that like offensive Firepower and that consistency and just that courage and to ask Sunderland to do that was was naive he can't he's he's young and that's not what he's meant to do and so you couldn't have gresle you know Rodondo had to be playing both sides of the field had to be more defensive and while the offense start you know was running through him you couldn't ask him to be buset and Gomez at the same time and they and that's what Tata was doing and it was it was unnecessary and I think that if Gomez had started the game um I actually think we would have been putting a lot more pressure on the Montreal defense earlier on there would have been more susceptible to mistakes and I think that we would have gotten the result yeah I I mean I agree I think that I think he I think that that thought he had enough to win that game I mean there were plenty of opport know why when we were worse in the League last year by a huge margin without I mean I mean the opportun the opportunities were there like if if I think that if Gana had a little bit of a better performance he had like three opportunities before um before he scored that header Robert Taylor had one right in front of the goal that he hit so if you really think about it if we would have scored at least one of those four or five or maybe even six opportunities that we had like the chances were there now it's up to the players to finish and I think that that's a that's a sacrifice that that made to make sure that he was coming in here 100% we're still early on in the season um and I mean we've we've said it you've even mentioned it yourself right now it's Champions Cup is the number one priority in here so yeah agreed and I mean I think again it was you know the first four games we were unbeaten we're still at the very top of the East um if not second there's still lots to play tonight and I you know the team has been playing well and I have faith in it but again just like last year and obviously very different scenarios but in the first three or four months of the Season we let opportunities slip by us and we were too casual and too and they knew in their head well we're getting messy and July and when he came we were last very last in the East very last in the whole entire league and because of that we didn't make the playoffs and there was a huge suffering and so I think it's you know it they can't be as Blas a with games that Messi doesn't start in my opinion I just don't I think especially because like I said my season ticket pric has tripled from last year to this year which is fine like I said I think Messi is worth it but I expect to see more out of the whole team and of our tactics and our coaching putting us in better positions to succeed and that goes for everyone that goes for on and off the field yeah well I I think we'll be good for this game like I said I think that Montreal game was just a sacrifice to make sure that we come in fully healthy and that we have our top 11 going into this game and I think that that's what they're going to do I don't know if he's going to do a 5-32 or if he's going to do a 4-33 and take the gamble on in his mind you know with grle at the right back no I know I'm I'm just I'm trying toong first to be so happily wrong on Wednesday but I'm trying to all I know is look if in Miami wants to win this game against Nashville on Wednesday I think the most important thing to do is don't be overly confident when you have the ball when you have possession of the ball and you're and it's halftime and you already have 60 70% possession of the ball don't be overly confident and think to yourself hey you know we're dominating or we this is easy no like this is by Design nationville is going to give inter Miami the ball you have to worry about making sure that you take care of that ball if you're G to play with a 532 make sure that you when you're the three in the back and your team is attacking you've got your three in the back that you don't leave huge gaps between your center backs where it's going to cause big problems because that's what we've seen as soon as Nashville gets a counter or even Montreal did that on Sunday they get the Counterattack they put a ball to a forward in between those ginormous spaces that the three center backs leave between them you got to make sure that you control the spacing there for inter Miami you got to make sure that one of buset or vondo which I I I truly believe they'll both play yeah they got to make sure that at least one of them is cognizant of the fact that if the other one is pushing forward the other has to stay back and be ready to run back I think that that's going to be really important and then use your use your weapons inami has weapons that at some points I'm I'm looking and I get I'm really at like I don't understand what's going on when you have Alba on the left hand side and you're not using him to his fullest potential and we've seen he operates the best when you give him the ball in stride and he's running down the Left Flank and he's able to get the ball and run cut in put the pass back into the to the Penalty area and either Messi is there or Suarez is there there are a lot of times where I don't see that's happening and we start to to try to push too much through the middle and we forget that we've got really good weapons one of the best backs of all time one of the best left backs you've got Robert Taylor that is amazing on the wing as well we had Yedlin so right now again I don't know unless gresle plays or or whoever plays on that right side we might have help but you've got to use the wings when the middle isn't working and that happens sometimes with inter Miami when the middle isn't working they forget about the the wings and they just continue to go down the path that isn't working so I just want to make sure and I I hope that that's something that that that does is to make sure you use all your assets you've got a plenty of really good um weapons here and you got to make sure you use them do you think Rondo is gonna play yeah yeah 100% right um yeah I think I think so too and I I you know I'll tell you what again I don't I really don't want the 352 or the 532 whatever I don't but I I feel it's fairly likely until we have a true right back this is what I'll say if we are having that back five and I mean this wholeheartedly the three center backs has to be Ailes FR and uh and Noah Allen because let me tell you why also when Noah Allen is playing as a center back on the left side Jordan Alba feels more comfortable going further up because there's a natural left back behind him and he feels more off exactly this is a really you know he never well I think Jord Al was a pretty good Defender but but I I I agree that he is he has so much offensive skill set and skill power and I saw it yesterday at the game that Jordi Alba was so much more fluid and flexible he was even coming in the Midfield sometimes to get passes and to transition and I think that if Noah Allen is playing next to him he feels a lot more comfortable going up and creating and that is what we desperately need in this formation and if it's Kristoff Jordi Alba does not feel comfortable going as far up because Fred who is a very good Center back it it like it it forces him into a hole and and Kristoff just Kristoff is is nowhere near the level of the other ones and I also think that Ailes um at the same time like like I said earlier I was not very I was a little disappointed in his performance yesterday the header goal was his Mark that he missed and I just this is the year where he needs to take big strides and big jumps and we all I trust him to be the starting center back pairing with Fred and I think he can do it but in certain games like he needs to have a lot more he needs to be a lot more disciplined a lot more focused and a lot more steadfast in the back and he sometimes I think he lets his immaturity and age show and like we've talked about multiple times with the construction of our roster and with the games we're playing and the formations and just you know the overall intensity we're getting from our opponents every other player outside of Messi Suarez buset Etc has to be playing EX exactly in their position exactly correctly and when they don't things like yesterday happen yeah yeah 100% this team especially with this defense leaves little room for error that's and that's why the midfields is the Midfield is really important for us extremely important that's why they have to be I mean we saw a few times where and against in the Montreal game one of the goals the Midfield was no where to be found I believe it was that goal where um who was it it was on a Counterattack and oh the one where the one where Joseph got the ball in the area and then he touches back and I forgot who it was that came in from behind but if you look at the replay nobody from the Midfield ran back they were ball watching and just I I think that they assumed that the goal was already a done thing and they were just watching and that's something that we need to make sure against Nashville that the Midfield does not do that that they don't give up that they run back on every play even if you think it's already a goal they can they need to make sure that they get back in time because this defense needs a lot of help this defense needs a lot of help and if not we're going to suffer but again we're coming in with two away goals if we can make sure that we I mean we can pass with a tie a one- one tie and we go through so that's important a one a a a win by even one goal a one- nil win or a two-nil win we pass so the odds are in our favor we just need to make sure everybody's on top of their game make sure we communicate make sure we don't lend ourselves to the C to the Counterattack and know that's what these guys are playing for they're playing for the Counterattack and they're good at it and now you've got Sam Serge that's coming back that wasn't available for them I believe he's gonna come back that adds an even bigger weapon yeah for them so him and even healthier MTAR because MTAR was coming back from an injury and even healthier MTAR with Sam surge is a lethal dose those two the way they combine not only goal scoring but playmaking between them is something of beauty and that's something that buett and Redondo and whoever I don't know if I don't know if that is going to use a manm Mark or just Zone but whatever he does he needs to make sure that he pays attention to those two specifically if you can lock those two guys down I think you've got a much better opportunity to win the game on Thursday yeah agreed and also did you notice that Montreal I feel like we were playing inter Miami FC of the past because it was Joseph Martinez it was Bryce duke it was Ari Lasser and in my head I'm just like God I've seen all these players play before but yeah and also to your point you know if we're being completely honest and if Nashville is being completely honest especially when they knew you know that they weren't playing at full strength I think they expected to lose honestly last week or or they didn't expect maybe to be up 2-0 to be completely honest and I think at this point in their head the fact that it's it's even they maybe feel like they have a slight not Advantage but they understand that you know it just takes one you know one lapse of judgment from them or one opportunity that they can pounce on and they could you know they could steal it away from inner Miami but I agree we're playing in you know Chase Stadium we're GNA have a fully fit Squad uh or at least a full strength Squad uh hopefully that you know the team wants to perform well especially after the loss yesterday um set pieces too they got to be careful with the set pieces man that's I we were the worst team last year in MLS with set pieces I for a second thought that we had gone over that hump and I came right back right back to bite Us in the butt and said hey remember me that is um no it's true it's true um but but look you know with that being said it's going to be a really exciting atmosphere it's going to be so fun we will both be there we're really excited um we'll be providing you know live content live commentary we're going to hopefully be able to do a postgame show live there also do the press conferences lots of exciting stuff um but you know I think it's time for our uh for our predictions on what is going to be you know an incredibly important game for this whole season like the whole season season is really I think heavily dependent on this game good evening from Scotland hi I'm going to Scotland in August actually so you got tell me places to go um they need more speed but you know they they do have they have fast players but then they just have extremely slow players that they also put in I mean Kristoff it's just it's really like he's taken a huge drop off from last year to this year and he was already starting to slow down a lot last year he's taken a huge drop off um and and I just it's if in the formation we're playing it's just you cannot bring an umbrella you cannot risk it you really can't espe you know I think Noah Allen is just a much better choice and I hope that Tata starts to see that I also think Dr cander made a lot of mistakes on characteristics mistakes yesterday and while he's an amazing shot stopping goalkeeper I still don't think he's comfortable enough in terms of spacing and reading long balls and reading just like you know what's happening around him like both the first two goals really should have been prevented by him both of them were really directly I think his fault the second was a set piece and you know it's obviously that they're put into dangerous areas but he should have been more aggressive and he should have tried to knock the ball out before they had a direct the first was a set was a set piece too it was a corner kick he misjudged it he know he made the mistake to make it to a corner so yeah it was it was uncharacteristic bad performances from Drake an amazing amazing shot stopping goalkeeper but needs to to notch up that part of his game where he has much better awareness of the ball and and much better judging of long balls coming in and things like that um and he's a world class keeper if he can do those things but he needs to take that jump yeah uh for me I think if I could share I think one key uh for the game and maybe if you wanted to something that you're looking into but I think you know seeing how Rono has so quickly um been able to understand his role in this team the team is already in his second game relying on him for offense and he's directing that he's actually directing and coaching it's crazy like in his second game he was giving the defense instructions he was pointing giving the Midfield instructions yeah you know one of the things that da mentioned is he wanted to give make sure that Messi didn't have to dive so deep into the Midfield to have to get the ball where he would be able to focus more on offense to be able to get the ball high up on the field maybe in the final third already to then be able to either shoot or be able to distribute the ball and playmake I think Rondo is a huge key to that now because we saw his playmaking abilities Rondo is like a young buset in my opinion with a bit more with a bit more offense in him the way that he was able to get the ball in the Midfield the way that he was able to run he's so tactical putting great passes getting everybody involved that's going to be huge I think for Messi because Messi won't have to do that as much and I think that one of the things to look out for on Wednesday look out for Theon connecting with Messi I think that going to be big for us and I wouldn't be surprised if we see a goal that stems from a reala pickup in the Midfield pass to Messi and then Messi either finishes or passes to Suarez or Robert T if he's in the game so I'm really excited for that how this youngster has come in and just right off great yeah great awareness and just great you know holding himself up and and you know making himself known on the pitch and within the team and just you know passion leadership aggression like wasn't scared agreed not all of his passes were perfect a little rusty in some parts but I think that he just he's a he plays like a real player you know like a baller he knows how to just completely ingratiate himself in a game and so I've really enjoyed it so far and I I hope he keeps growing um I'd love to see booy and Rondo in front of Defense agreed and I I mean look that's hopefully what we're aiming towards I'll tell you what I don't think Robert Taylor is going to start on Wednesday um especially if we do a 352 I don't think he's gonna start but I hope he can come in and make a difference we'll see though we'll see but um if he doesn't start if he doesn't start it's going to be because we're doing we we if he doesn't start it's because Kristoff is your Center Center back and Noah Allen is your left wing back that's that's what why it would be so I really hope it's the opposite because if Taylor start and that means we've got Noah Allen as your left uh Center back and that would be much better I mean I don't like again 352 or 532 people know that but if we did do it I think that that's the proper way to do it is to have Noah Allen in the back and have Robert Taylor it's your left wing back I think it's a proper way to do it too but we've thought that many times and it doesn't it doesn't always show that way in the in the starting lineup but um but I think it's time for us to give our score predictions and and wrap this up and and I want to hear you know in the comments let us know what you think the score will be uh you go first I know you've been mad when I keep going first you go first I have not been able to get one right so far I think this season and uh I'm struggling over here uh shoot okay and a low BL and they score three goals agreed all right so we went 22 in Nashville yeah I think Inon Miami is going to go in there play it safe like play it smart not being too aggressive giving up counterattacks making sure that they're very meticulous and precise with with when they choose to attack and how they do it so I don't think we're going to see a I don't think we're going to see four goals or we're going to see you know a three- Z I'm G to go with we see uh 2-1 I'm going to say 2-1 in Miami wins it's going to be a goal from Messi and I'm going to go with a goal from suades because those have been the two most consistent guys for us those are the ones that score so I'm going 2-1 um but because I said 2-1 they'll probably win 5- Z that that always happens to me but 2-1 I'm gonna go with that 3-1 is my I actually think we're gonna ball um I think the goal is Gonna Come From Messi I think there's going to be a goal again from Jordi Alba I know that's like really going for it and I think there's GNA be a substitution in the second half and the third goal is going to be Gana towards the end of the game okay okay that's what I I that's what I think I just think that like um we're going to play actually with a lot of freedom more so because we're playing at home it's a big game it's under the lights it's you know it's what what everyone's going to be watching I agree with this comment I love Taylor but he needs to work on his stamina I think that Robert Taylor has been fantastic in the last you know year for us and continues to be great but in situations like Sunday I think his some he's too timid and he doesn't like let the moments take over for him and he's you know when Messi's playing be like playing next to him and Etc as Suarez he feels a little bit more free but when they're not playing like that's when he needs to really like step up and like be running at 10 speed and shooting and making the goalkeeper work and making the defense nervous around him and make mistakes and he just he didn't show that which I was surprised by um but hopefully it was it was a good lesson Messi and Suarez scores look if Suarez keeps scoring even better but I'm just saying I want to give I want to make it a little bit more interesting you know I think Messi's going to continue to score um but yeah so hopefully hopefully it's a it's not only a win but it's a resounding win and we have a lot of confidence going in to you know continuing in MLS and and getting into the quarterfinals on like a really positive note yeah yep I agree I think it's uh I think this going to be a tough game I don't think it's going to be as easy as Maybe might think but uh I think it'll be a very tactical very tactical game just knowing that you're going back home with two away goals ready and you basically just make sure you don't give away at least don't give away two it would be just catastrophic for the season if we lose they really would be yeah I think I'd be devastated I I I definitely would be devastated if not to be biased or anything but everything would fall apart and we would yeah no yeah that would be there's just there's there's just so much writing on this like this is this is huge this is this is as big as it gets for in Miami um this is what everyone's invested in this is why you know the whole the whole city the the area the world is watching Messi and Inter Miami it's for moments like this uh we need to score first and they'll break down agreed this is a great comment and this is I think a good comment to end on keep in mind Messi is mad and you know what happens when he is mad agreed I think that the whole team was on edge for that performance and did not have Goodwill toward the end of it and I think that they're going to try and make it especially after yesterday they're going to try and make a big stamp and a big statement yeah they definitely will I I mean yeah Messi was definitely mad and frustrated after that game so he's GNA come in with a Vengeance that's why I think he's going to score 100% so um but yeah we're excited we're excited for that game one thing before we do head out I just want to make sure and we do this every time so just to remind you guys to follow us at Messi and Co follow so Ashley and I follow us yeah follow us at Messi and Co um Ashley and I in case you weren't here at the beginning we're both going to be at the stadium we've got our credentials we're going to be in the Press Box we're going to get there early so we're going to make sure to get you a lot of footage before we get there we like to go around the stadium we like to get you images of the stadium as people start to trickle in we'll get you images of um of the support groups getting ready for the game and then just other kind of things that you won't see on TV you know players warming up will let you know before they even get announced that they're warming up on the side all those sorts of things we like to capture and and get that on social media for you guys and then if you guys have any questions um we're out there with our laptops typing away or with our phones typing away making uh bring you guys updates if you have any questions hey do you see this guy on the field do you see this not let us know we'll make sure to try to get you all those answers and then uh we'll try to get you some postgame coverage as well uh for that game so we're excited to be there covering for you guys so yeah just make you guys follow us agreed and if you see either of us at the stadium come and say hi we really like saying hi I know a lot of people here are international watching and uh being there but if you see us come say hi question will we be live then um I think we're gonna what what we may end up doing is we're not 100% sure how it's going to play out but maybe what will happen Wednesday postgame is you know most of the press conferences are in Spanish and so I don't speak Spanish but Gian does we may have a situation where Gian goes and does some of the press conference and maybe I start the live stream and talk with you guys um and you know go from there there will not be a pregame uh live stream but we will be posting pregame and during the game and if you have comments or ideas or thoughts or just you know questions we will be there to answer them so yeah make sure you follow us we're really excited big week huge game Wednesday uh thank you for watching thank you for your support thank you for your comments and uh we'll talk soon all right guys enjoy the game and we'll talk to you guys soon bye