Bradley Wright-Phillips has detailed how Inter Miami have managed to improve despite not having Lionel Messi to call upon in recent games.
The Herons made it three wins from three since the Argentine departed for the Copa America, with Inter Miami also missing Luis Suarez and Matias Rojas due to the summer tournament, with the MLS season still ongoing.
Jordi Alba was the hero last night in Nashville, as the defender scored a contender for Goal of the Season with a fantastic volley, with defender Ian Fray was also on the scoresheet for the second time in as many games for Inter Miami.
And Wright-Phillips has shared his theory on how Inter Miami have surprisingly improved since Messi’s departure.
Wright-Phillips says Inter Miami’s defense has stepped up since Messi’s departure
Speaking on MLS Wrap-Up, the former New York Red Bulls striker highlighted how Inter Miami’s improvements at the back have been key to the Herons’ drastic upturn in form since Messi joined up with Argentina at the Copa America.
Even after losing Nicolas Freire to a season-ending injury, Inter Miami’s defensive form in the last three games has been nothing short of impressive, with the likes of Fray, Alba and Drake Callender all stepping up in a big way.
Wright-Phillips said when asked what’s impressed him most about Inter Miami in their last three wins in MLS: “What’s impressed me the most is defensively, they’ve shored things up.
“You looked at Inter Miami a few weeks ago and you thought ‘there’s no way they can hold onto leads,’ now they’re going to places and winning, down a man. They’re going to places and winning, ugly. It’s a true testament to the team they are.”
Herons could become unstoppable when Messi returns
Inter Miami’s form since the departure of the Copa America trio has been nothing short of surprising, with most experts and fans predicting the Herons to struggle big time without their star forwards.
However, the departure of Messi and Suarez has all-but pushed Inter Miami to find solutions to win games via difference avenues, with the bulking up of the defense helping the Florida franchise in a big way.
As a result, Inter Miami have never looked better this year, and when Messi returns, the Herons could be unstoppable in their bid to win the Supporters’ Shield as well as MLS Cup, with the Leagues Cup defense also on the horizon.