With a shuffled starting eleven and without Lionel Messi, Inter Miami conceded their first defeat of the season against CF Montreal. Sandro Schwarz, on the other hand, was jubilant thanks to Emil Forsberg
If you had bought a ticket for the game against CF Montreal to see Lionel Messi live, you were out of luck. The world champion was not even in the squad for Inter Miami’s home game on Monday night (CET) – and his team promptly conceded their first defeat of the season, losing 3-2.
Shortly after Leonardo Campana had equalized the visitors’ early lead through Fernando Alvarez (13′) (71′), Montreal decided the game with a curious double strike. Striker Matias Coccaro (75′) and Sunusi Ibrahim (78′), who replaced him two minutes later, struck with ice-cold precision. The 3:1 was set up by another substitute, Josef Martinez, a player who had worn the Inter shirt last season
The home side quickly came close again when Jordi Alba took advantage of a cross from his former Barcelona team-mate Sergio Busquets to score his first goal of the season (80′). However, unlike in the round of 16 CONCACAF Champions Cup first leg at Nashville SC (2:2) during the week, the late equalizer would not come this time
Busquets, Suarez and Gressel also part of the rotation
In the end, coach Gerardo Martino had probably gambled a little too high with his many personnel changes, which he had also made with a view to the second leg against Nashville on Thursday (1:15 CET). While Messi was missing completely, Busquets and Luis Suarez were deliberately only substituted, while Federico Redondo and Julian Gressel were deliberately substituted early on
“That was the plan,” Martino revealed and said of Messi’s absence: “We spoke about it about a week ago and agreed that we would rest him in this game.” The fact that the 36-year-old was kicked in the leg in Nashville had nothing to do with it, he added.
Forsberg scores for the Red Bulls for the first time
Inter, like six other teams, are on seven points, but are the only ones to have already played four times. The remaining sextet also includes the New York Red Bulls under new coach Sandro Schwarz. They had already remained unbeaten the day before with a 2:1 win against FC Dallas. Top new signing Emil Forsberg scored his first goal in his new shirt from the penalty spot and also set up Lewis Morgan’s 2:0 in the meantime.
