Cavalier head coach Rudolph Speid is clear on his team's mission to erase a two-goal deficit and fight for a spot in the Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals. Whether Lionel Messi plays for Inter Miami or not in next Thursday’s second leg at Jamaica’s National Stadium is of no concern to him.
Despite their 2-0 loss, the Caribbean Cup champions showed resilience against the star-studded MLS side, as Messi watched from the stands at the Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday night.
In fact, the Argentine, arguably the world's best, was drawn to his feet in shock after Cavalier found the back of the net in the first half. However, the goal was later reversed on VAR review for offside.
"It (Messi not playing) was not disappointing to the team. We didn’t come to play Lionel Messi; we came to play Inter Miami," Speid stated confidently after the first-leg encounter.
“But we would have had to recalibrate when we realised that [Messi] wasn’t in the squad and set up the team a little differently. We knew where certain attacks and certain patterns would come from, so without him, we had to think about the other possible patterns," he added.
While Messi remains an uncertainty for the second leg, Speid's focus is solely on his squad, which he believes can rise to the challenge on home turf.
"We now know what we have to do in the second leg. When you only have one choice, it is a bit easier. We have to score the first goal so we know that is what we have to do in Jamaica," Speid noted.
“Whenever our backs are against the wall, you see what we do. One thing is on our minds; when we come back, we are going to come back harder and better. Again, we know what we have to do, and we’re prepared to give it a good shot. Jamaican people, come out and watch because we know what is at stake and what we have to do," he declared.
Meanwhile, Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano has yet to confirm whether Messi will travel to Jamaica after he missed his team’s last two matches due to fatigue.
"It is day to day. The doctors have told me that he has no injury. He is fatigued from having played three games in six days, from changes of the weather, and a lot of other situations. Now we want to take care of him and not aggravate that fatigue," Mascherano explained.
With or without Messi, Mascherano praised his experienced players—including Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, Luis Suárez, and Oscar Ustari—for leading the younger squad members in his absence.
"Obviously, not having the best player in the world is complicated, but we will have to take a step forward and learn how to play without him," Mascherano added.
Photos: Concacaf Media