Hey soccer fans, let’s talk about something Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino, the head coach of Inter Miami, brought up recently. After his team took a 3-1 hit from Monterrey in the Champions Cup quarterfinals, Martino voiced a pretty bold opinion: It’s high time for Major League Soccer (MLS) to chill a bit with their roster rules and regulations.
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard a peep about this from the MLS side of the fence. Liga MX teams, like the formidable Monterrey, have been running circles around MLS teams in head-to-head matchups, largely because they’re not tangled up in the same roster red tape that teams stateside are dealing with.
Jump over to New England, and you’ll hear a similar tune from Revolution coach Caleb Porter. Following a brutal 5-2 defeat (and a staggering 9-2 on aggregate) to Club America, another Liga MX heavyweight, Porter echoed Martino’s sentiments. It’s clear that the MLS is feeling the pinch of these regulations.
Now, back to Martino’s squad. Even with soccer legends like Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, Miami couldn’t break through Monterrey’s defenses. Despite the star power, they’ve now gone five games without a win. But Martino isn’t just making excuses.
Tata Martino talks about an advantage for MX
The game itself was a nail-biter for a while. Miami started strong, generating some decent opportunities at Monterrey’s daunting Estadio BBVA. But things took a turn for the worse when goalkeeper Drake Callender made a costly mistake, allowing Brandon Vazquez to sneak one in for Monterrey at the 31-minute mark.
Even two goals down on aggregate, Martino believed his team still had a shot. That is, until German Berterame slammed the door shut with a long-range stunner, knocking Miami out of the Champions Cup race.
So, what’s next for MLS? If coaches like Martino and Porter have their way, maybe we’ll see some changes to those confining roster rules. Could this level the playing field against Liga MX? Time will tell, but it’s definitely sparking some interesting conversations in the soccer world. Stay tuned, folks!
