New York Red Bulls coach Sandro Schwarz has warned his team against focusing solely on Lionel Messi as they prepare for a daunting away clash against Inter Miami on Saturday.
The Red Bulls rose up against a Messi-less Miami in March, beating Gerardo Martino’s star-studded New Jersey team 4-0.
However, six weeks later, the Red Bulls are prepared to face an Inter Miami team that has moved three points clear at the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
Messi’s return to form has revived Inter’s fortunes, with the Argentine star scoring twice in a 4-1 win over the New England Revolution last weekend.
Those goals took Messi’s tally to nine in seven appearances this season, a return that helped him win April’s Major League Soccer Player of the Month award on Thursday.
But while Messi’s presence means Inter are likely to have a different proposition on Saturday, Red Bulls coach Schwarz insists Miami cannot afford to get too worried about stopping the Argentine maestro.
“It’s a team of great quality, especially with Lionel Messi,” said Schwarz. “We have to defend very strong, very compact.
“It’s a big challenge for us. Our preparation throughout the week, in training, in our video conference was to play against Inter Miami, not just against Messi.
“We are sure he is a very important player for them, especially in the final third.”
Schwarz says he wants his team to play with the same sense of confidence that characterized the rout of Miami in March.
“It’s an important topic to defend (Messi), but it’s also important that we have confidence on the ball and that we don’t just think about how to defend Messi, because they have a lot of good players.
“We have to have confidence, quality and performance in our moments of transition, to use our speed on Saturday to create dangerous moments for our opponents”.
The Red Bulls are currently third in the Eastern Conference standings, four points behind Miami, having played one game less.
In other games this weekend, second-placed Cincinnati will look to keep up with Miami when they travel to Orlando, who are near the bottom of the Eastern Conference with just nine points from nine games.
In the Western Conference, leaders Real Salt Lake host Kansas City, while second-place Los Angeles Galaxy – who trail Salt Lake on goal difference – face a potentially awkward trip to the Pacific Northwest to face the Seattle Sounders.
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