Tata Martino says Lionel Messi has shown he can handle himself after coming in for some rough treatment in Inter Miami’s victory over Orlando City.
Inter Miami beat Orlando City 3-1
Messi scored twice, received a yellow card
Coach Martino acknowledged increased friction
WHAT HAPPENED? Messi scored a brace in a 3-1 victory over Orlando City in the Leagues Cup round of 32. However, the Florida derby also saw the Argentine on the receiving end of several harsh challenges from the opposition. On one occasion he pushed Cesar Araujo after being caught by one full-blooded challenge and was later caught in a war of words with Felipe Martins.
Coach Martino admitted that things got heated up and approved the “friction” to the presence of many South American players on the pitch.
WHAT THEY SAID: “The match the other day was completely different from the last ones that is true. There was more friction. I attribute it to the fact that there were many South Americans on the pitch. … And obviously there is a respect for the best player in the world, but the reality is that over the 90 minutes each team wants to win. And so it was commendable of him to play on the field the way that he did, and it assisted up notice to say, ‘Our team is here, watch out’,” he told reporters.