Miami.- Lionel Messi left the field dejected after the overwhelming elimination of the Inter Miami Wednesday at the semifinals of the Concacaf Champions Cupanother disappointment for a franchise that remains hungry for titles.
The ambitious American squad succumbed 3-1 in front of its audience against Canadian Vancouver Whitecaps, who advanced to the final for a 5-1 uniform global.
Messi’s team stayed again outside the final of the main Tournament of the Concacaf and left an extremely worrying image just a month and a half before the brand new FIFA Club World Cup inaugurated.
The Miami project, hopeful that Messi lengthen his stay for one more season, runs the risks of relying on four figures that are between 36 and 38 years old: the Argentine star and his eternal partners Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.
Last year, after completing the best regular phase in the American League (MLS), Inter has already fainted the first in the playoffs and remained far from its desired first domestic title.
With one more year in the legs, the so -called Fantastic four are asked to face an even more demanding calendar, with the MLS, the champions Cup, the CUP Leagues and now also the worldwide club of clubs.
Heavy load
At the head of this mission is the Argentine Javier Mascherano, without prior experience as a club coach, who did not give a substitute for guarantees of the most talented young man on the squad, the Paraguayan Diego Gómez, who was transferred to the Brighton of England.
The Inter also facilitates the defensive work of its rivals by concentrating the creation of the game in Messi’s boots, which has lowered its benefits with respect to the first year and a half of its stage in the United States.
Captain Albiceleste adds eight goals in 14 games in all competitions and, although he usually leaves moments of brilliance, the offensive load on his shoulders is increasingly heavy.
Beside him, the Uruguayan Suárez seems to have lost the gunpowder and chain nine unmarked games.
Sergio Busquets is also very far from his best version and Jordi Alba, although it remains an offensive threat, generates imbalances by neglecting its defensive obligations.
Before Vancouver, Inter had to overcome the 2-0 against the first leg and their hopes revived when Alba opened the scoring at nine minutes.
But the WhiteCaps, revelation team of the season in the MLS, did not melt against the pressure as previous Rivals of the Inter and turned it around with goals almost followed by Brian White and the Ecuadorian Pedro Vite, bordering the humiliation with the third of Sebastian Berhalter.
Club World Cup on the horizon
In front of the press, Mascherano regretted that their pupils did not keep calm when they had a long time ahead to tie the series.
“We had done the most difficult,” he said. “What we did not expect is that in three minutes they sentence the tie with two plays at the beginning of the second half, when we had to be calmer.”
Inter, in this way, did not take advantage of its greatest experience and showed its difficulties in following the rhythm of a dynamic rival like Vancouver.
His coach, the Danish Jesper Sorensen, showed in his analysis the weaknesses of his opponent.
“It is fair to say that we have a younger team and also more capable of running and playing with high intensity,” he said.
After the coup, Mascherano made a call to focus on the MLS, where they occupy the fifth place of the East Conference, without still thinking about the great shop window of the Club World Cup.
The countdown, however, has already begun for the opening match of June 14 against the Egyptian Ahly.
The Portuguese Porto and the Brazilian Palmeiras will be the other Group rivals of an Inter who, except improves, risks results that leave the figure of Messi in poor place.
