Philadelphia coach: 'Messi made us lose confidence'

"I think Philadelphia got a little excited. Maybe the team showed too much respect and humility before the opponent. We were punished by a strong team for that," Curtin said in the following press conference. battle.

Next to Messi's Inter Miami, Philadelphia lost three goals in the first half. Among these was the Argentine striker's super long shot from about 33 meters in the 20th minute. Despite their best efforts, coach Curtin's team could not get up. This is only Philadelphia's second defeat at home since 2021.

On June 25, Philadelphia defeated Inter Miami 4-1 at Subaru Stadium. However, the appearance of superstars Messi, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and coach Tata Martino seems to change the balance between the two teams. Curtin predicts that the owners of Inter Miami will bring in more stars to help this club change its fortunes.

"With Messi, Inter Miami is at the top of all ball possession parameters, so we know we won't have a lot of ball to play. So I chose players with a bit of a defensive bias, as well as launching the squad. emphasize certainty," Curtin said of his approach to the game.

Commenting on Messi, coach Philadelphia Union expressed admiration. Curtin compared the Argentine superstar to Michael Jordan, the basketball legend he idolized.

"They are all global stars. Messi is probably the best player in the history of football. But that doesn't mean that he loses his motivation to play. Messi still plays like other players and continues to play. continues to shine even though he doesn't need to do it to prove his ability," he said.