- Messi & Busquets to get first start
- Messi already been named club captain
- Coach Tata Martino wants more involvement
WHAT HAPPENED? Head coach Tata Martino revealed that both players will get to play a bigger role in the next match and are "likely" to start. Messi and Busquets, who played 568 times together during their stint with Barcelona, made their U.S. debuts against Cruz Azul from the bench last week, and the Argentina superstar scored abrilliant last-minute free-kickto give Miami a 2-1 win.
WHAT THEY SAID: “It’s very probable that Leo and Busi will play more. It’s possible to believe that if they play more minutes the team’s dynamic will change, and they’ll likely do that from the start. Everything is going to depend on how they feel," Martino said on Monday.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: After playing an instrumental role against Cruz Azul, Messi has already been named club captain. His impact, along with Busquets' presence at the centre of the park, overwhelmed team-mate Robert Taylor and the midfielder hailed their contribution as game-changing.
“When they came on, it obviously changed the game massively," he said. "What I noticed, every time I would get the ball from Busquets or Messi I would have tons of space and time. They attract players to them, and they know when to release the ball and when to keep it. It’s a level they bring to the game that will help everybody around them."
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WHAT NEXT? Messi and Busquets will aim to rise to the occasion once again when they take to the pitch in another group stage encounter in the Leagues Cup, this time against Atlanta United on Tuesday evening.