Thiago Almada is one of the key players at Atlanta United FC, who were swept aside by **Inter Miami CF** on Tuesday in their **Leagues Cup** match-up in a 4-0 defeat. In the build-up to the game, the young World Cup winner and Lionel Messi’s international teammate spoke about the prospect of playing against his compatriot: “We don’t have a plan to stop him.”
After getting a pre-game feel for the pitch at DRV PNK Stadium and minutes before kick-off, the Five Stripes attacking midfielder appeared before the cameras: “I spoke with Leo for a bit yesterday. To be able to face him today is amazing for my team, it’s a great challenge for us.”
He also noted the difference between the Inter Miami CF side that he and his teammates had faced in MLS action, and the star-studded version they were taking on tonight: “Our manager showed us a bit of how they played against Cruz Azul, we’ll try to play our game and put in a performance.”
But, almost foreshadowing what Messi would go on to do, Almada added: “There’s no plan that can stop Messi. We’ll try to get things right, avoid any errors and hit the ground running.”
Leo only needed 7 minutes to open the scoring, and would double his team’s lead after just 22 as he finished off an impressive team move. Messi is now among the top scorers at this summer’s Leagues Cup with three goals, along with his teammate Robert Taylor who also scored a double tonight.
At the end of the game, the Argentina captain and the young prospect shared a warm embrace on the DRV PNK Stadium pitch. Five minutes from time, the Atlanta United forward had been denied from the penalty spot, and his compatriot seemingly sought to console him after the heavy defeat.
