RWith a six-game unbeaten run in the MLS, leading the race for the Supporters’ Shield and with their star players topping the goals and assists charts, all is well in the world of Inter Miami.
Yet head coach Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino was in first place just over a month ago. A humiliating 4-0 defeat against New York Red Bulls at the end of March was followed in early April by elimination in the Concacaf Champions Cup by Mexican side Monterrey.
Former USMNT defender Taylor Twellman posted a damning statistic on X, comparing the Argentine manager’s record in Miami to that of the man he replaced at Chase Stadium, Phil Neville.
“What if I told you that Tata Martino has a lower winning percentage in the MLS than Phil Neville at Inter Miami… would you believe me?!” Twelman wrote. “Neville ended his stint in South Florida with a winning percentage of just 38.9%, while Martino’s currently stands at 38.2%.”
In the meantime, messages in Spain suggested that Martino could be replaced by Xavi Hernández, with Miami contacting the coach who is set to leave his post at Barcelona next summer. Xavi has since agreed to stay at Camp Nou for another year.
Following the hammering by the Red Bulls, there was an air of resignation in Martino’s comments to the media as the 61-year-old accused his players of lacking commitment.
“There’s not much to say other than we were outmatched from start to finish,” Martino said. “If a team enters a game without the desire to win, without spirit, without competing, and the other side just wants to win the game, then they will win it.”
The main mitigating factor for Miami’s underperformance was an injury crisis. Ahead of the sixth league match of the season, nine members of Martino’s squad were unavailable due to injury, more than any other team in the competition. They drew 1–1 against New York City FC, headlined by Lionel Messi, who missed a month due to a hamstring injury.
Miami’s lopsided approach to roster construction – built around the acquisition of high-priced superstars – means their roster is top-heavy on talent and unable to absorb a wave of injuries, especially when their high-earning big names are unavailable.
When Messi returned in early April, Miami’s fortunes turned around. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner could not prevent Champions Cup elimination as he clearly still lacked sharpness in the second-leg defeat to Monterrey. But his league form has been absurd – the 36-year-old has scored seven goals and provided eight assists in five MLS games since his return, putting him at the top of the goals and assists charts – including a record five assists in defeat. of the Red Bulls.
Now that Miami is up and running, it’s clear why they hired Martino in the first place.
Just as the club, co-owned by David Beckham, has chased superstars on the pitch, Martino arrived last summer with a heavy CV and a reputation to complement the players he oversees. His reputation was first built in South America. He won the Paraguayan Primera División four times in the early to mid-2000s, with Libertad and then Club Cerro Porteño. Between 2007 and 2011, he led Paraguay to the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup – the country’s best ever finish – and to the final of the Copa América. He then led Newell’s Old Boys to an Argentine title in his native Rosario.
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He teamed up with Messi at Barcelona for a season and then again during a two-year spell at the helm of Argentina, where he reached a further two Copa América finals.
After two and a half years in charge of Mexico, Martino arrived at Inter Miami with a proven MLS pedigree, thanks to an MLS Cup win and an MLS Coach of the Year award with Atlanta United in 2018.
His vast experience, string of achievements and personal history with Messi were reflected in the contract, reportedly worth $5 million per year, that he signed at Chase Stadium. And while Miami’s commitment of funds to players in midfield and attack – even fullback Jordi Alba is more of an asset for the future than defensive – has resulted in a porous backline, having conceded 18 goals in 12 MLS games so far this season , there is evidence of Martino’s coaching talent higher up the pitch.
Although his only trophy during his only season as Barcelona manager was a Super Cup, the Catalans were a formidable attacking force under his watch, scoring 100 La Liga goals as they finished second to Atlético Madrid. Martino’s Atlanta was also the highest scorer in MLS in the 2018 regular season, with 70 goals.
With Messi and Luis Suárez leading the charge, Miami is of course blessed with a level of attacking talent that is the envy of MLS. But the coordinated support of the team’s wingers and full-backs, the careful spacing of the players moving forward together and providing Messi with passing lanes, is a hallmark of their forward play, a result of Martino’s work on the training pitch.
Miami has scored 32 goals in twelve MLS games, by far the most in the league. Only LA Galaxy and Phil Neville’s Portland Timbers have exceeded the twenty-goal mark. Now that their Messi-less slump is behind them, their ambition to win multiple trophies this season is back in view and Martino’s position looks as secure as ever, proving that player health is often inherent to coaching success.