“He Wakes Up 5 Mins & Changes the Rhythm” – Lionel Messi Receives Highest of Praise From Upcoming Inter Miami Rival

Published 09/20/2023, 7:15 AM EDT

Lionel Messi is one of the soccer greats; there’s no denying that. The Argentine maestro has lit up MLS after his summer move to Inter Miami from PSG. Despite being 36, Messi has turned back the clock with the strategic way he plays the game now, especially considering his old legs. Now, ahead of their upcoming US Open Cup final, Inter Miami’s opponent captain has spoken about this aspect of Messi’s game, reserving high praise for the Argentina superstar.

Messi has scored 11 and assisted 8 times for the Miami club since his summer move. And now, Inter Miami plays Houston Dynamo in the US Open Cup final later this week on the 27th of September. Houston Dynamo’s captain Hector Herrera has spoken about facing Messi and what he expects from the mercurial Argentine star.

Houston Dynamo captain Hector Herrera speaks about stopping Messi ahead of US Open Cup final clash

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Hector Herrera is no stranger to big games and big performances. The Houston Dynamo captain has scored 3 goals and made 9 assists for the Houston club so far this season in the MLS. Now, Herrera spoke about the franchise’s big US Open Cup final match against Inter Miami this week, and more crucially, about stopping Messi.

According to a recent report in media outlet TN30 Herrera said, “We know it will be a very difficult match, which will require us to be at one hundred percent and focused for more than ninety minutes.” “We are very motivated, confident that we can achieve something important, but we know that on the road there is a very strong rival led on the bench by Tata (Martino) and on the field by the best in the world (referring to Messi), so for us it is an extra motivation.”

“There are times when it seems like he’s not in the game and he wakes up five minutes and changes the rhythm and the direction of the game. It’s hard to say, ‘you have to do this or that to stop him, because it’s impossible.” “Once when we played with the national team, Osorio[Mexico’s coach] told us not to try to take it away from him because we weren’t going to succeed,” he added.

Further stating, “It’s hard to decipher how you have to stop him, we have to work as a team and be prepared for when it’s our turn to defend him. He is the best in the world for my way of seeing soccer. That has to give us extra strength”.

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Herrera’s comments come as no surprise considering Messi’s sublime first touches, sudden turns, and quick acceleration. While the Argentina icon can’t match those aspects of his game like his younger years, he’s still pretty deadly when he receives the ball; something Herrera has highlighted.

Lionel Messi has a chance to lift more silverware in the upcoming US Open Cup final

For Lionel Messi, the upcoming US Open Cup final is a chance to lift more silverware with Inter Miami. The Argentine World Cup winner has already lifted the Leagues Cup with his new club.

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Inter Miami defeated Nashville SC 10-9 on penalties after Messi opened the scoring in the 23rd minute. This was Inter Miami’s first trophy win since the club’s formation 4 years ago.

Messi became the player with the most titles in soccer history after the Leagues Cup win. The Inter Miami star won what was his 44th career trophy overall after lifting the Leagues Cup becoming the most decorated player in soccer history. Now, Messi has the chance to take that number up further should he captain Inter Miami to a win over Houston Dynamo in the highly anticipated upcoming cup final against Houston Dynamo.

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Written by:

With extensive knowledge & over 8+ years of experience as a soccer journalist, Gaurav knows the intricacies of the beautiful game inside out and is now working with EssentiallySports. He played as a No.10 on the pitch during his younger years, modeling his game around his idol Zinedine Zidane.

Edited by:

Jayant Chhabra

“He Wakes Up 5 Mins & Changes the Rhythm” – Lionel Messi Receives Highest of Praise From Upcoming Inter Miami Rival

Houston Dynamo captain Hector Herrera speaks about stopping Messi ahead of US Open Cup final clash

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Lionel Messi has a chance to lift more silverware in the upcoming US Open Cup final