"We've to come up with more ways to break the opponent down" - Kamal Miller suggests Inter Miami are too reliant on Lionel Messi 

Inter Miami center-back Kamal Miller suggested that Herons have become too reliant on Lionel Messi and that they need to find other ways to break down low-block defenses.

His comments surfaced after Inter Miami were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw against Nashville at the DRV PNK Stadium on August 30th.

The Herons failed to win a game for the first time in 10 matches since Lionel Messi signed for the club on July 15. Although they remain unbeaten, Tata Martino and Co. were unable to find a way to breach a tenacious Nashville defense in their MLS clash yesterday.

The away side defended tremendously and resorted to playing with a low block. Inter Miami was unable to have any shots on goal until the 60th minute, with both teams having to settle for a point apiece after the final whistle.

Miller gave his verdict after the game (via Miami Herald):

“They sat back with nine or 10 guys at a time, pretty frustrating, but we have to get used to it. It’s the first time a team did that to us so blatantly.... That’s probably what most teams are going to do against us now and try to hit us on the counter. We have to come up with more ways as a team to break the opponent down when they’re sitting on the low block and move the ball faster and not just depend on Leo.”

He added:

“We have tunnel vision on our goal, which is making the playoffs, so this feels like a loss, but we’re just going to keep moving forward.”

Inter Miami remain 14th in the MLS Eastern Conference standings with 22 points. They are currently 10 points away from the ninth-place playoff spot.

Lionel Messi has been in phenomenal form for the Herons, scoring 11 goals and providing three assists in 10 appearances and helping the club win the Leagues Cup.

The Argentine ace will be looking to bounce back in their next fixture against LAFC on September 3.

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Lionel Messi's Inter Miami vs Nashville: Exploring the stats from MLS clash

Messi's Inter Miami were held to a frustrating stalemate against Nashville in their Leagues Cup final rematch in the MLS yesterday. Let's take a look at the stats to see how both teams performed.

The Herons dominated possession, holding 70% of the ball. They also completed 716 passes with an accuracy of 91%. In contrast, Nashville could only muster 30% possession and completed just 314 passes with an accuracy of 78%.

Both teams struggled to be industrious in attack. The home team had 13 shots with just four being on target, while Nashville had seven shots, with two being on target.

Lionel Messi also had a rare off-game and couldn't make an impact to influence the outcome of the game. The Argentine ace had seven shots in total with only two being on target.

Despite creating two chances, none of his crosses were accurate, and he had an accurate long-ball rate of 25%.