Alexi Lalas has claimed Lionel Messi has done something ‘amazing’ since moving to Inter Miami last summer.
The 36-year-old forward has hit top form for the Herons since returning from injury last month, with Messi leading the goalscoring and assist charts in MLS and recently coming off the back of a record-breaking five-assist game for Inter Miami.
With the Florida franchise sitting top of the Supporters’ Shield standings, Inter Miami have hit the sort of form that many expected when Messi first signed for Tata Martino’s side last year, with the Herons looking simply impossible.
And USMNT legend Lalas has now noted what Messi has done to his fellow Inter Miami teammates.
Messi has vastly improved Inter Miami players’ soccer IQ
Speaking on the State of the Union Podcast, Lalas detailed how Messi’s arrival has seen Inter Miami’s players become more intelligent on the ball and with how they time their runs to work better alongside the Argentine.
Messi has raised the level of Inter Miami greatly since signing last year, and it isn’t a stretch to say that the squad as a whole have benefited greatly from the 36-year-old’s presence as well as his quality on and off the ball.
Lalas said: “This team is growing with him, and so now those runs in behind that in the past you wouldn’t even think of, let alone try, you’re now saying ‘alright, there’s a good chance that this guy is going to thread that needle, so I am going to try.’
“It puts defenders and defenses on their heels, they have to take a step back, they have to be on their heels, they have to think about the blind-side runs and the backdoor stuff that’s happening, it’s just amazing.”
Messi’s impact will last with the Herons way after he leaves
The thought of Messi even leaving is one that Inter Miami and MLS fans won’t even want to consider for a second, yet the Argentine will leave a visible mark with the Florida franchise when that day comes.
The squad have improved greatly since Messi’s arrival, with Martino’s tactics allowing many players in the team to play the game at the Argentine’s wave-length and getting results in the process.
And for Inter Miami, the day Messi leaves means the Herons will be prepared to deal with anything, with the MLS giants now on the path to becoming better than the sum of their parts.