Inter Miami CF have played like a team reborn over the last few weeks, feeling the full effect of a legendary trio ā Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba ā joining as summertime signings.
But FC Dallas, in Sunday nightās Leagues Cup Round of 16 matchup (9:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass), can spoil the Heronsā party. At least they have every intention of doing that at Toyota Stadium, hosting Messiās first MLS road trip.
āOur ultimate goal is to become champions of this new tournament and Inter Miami's going to come here and try and knock us out,ā said FCD forward JesĆŗs Ferreira. āThis is our home. We have to respect them, but at the same time know they're here at our home and we need to make sure that we knock them out.ā
The winner reaches a quarterfinal clash on Aug. 11-12 against either Charlotte FC or Houston Dynamo FC, bringing them one step closer to being crowned champions of the expanded competition between MLS and Liga MX opponents.
FC Dallas, who gained confidence from back-to-back wins over Mexican sides Necaxa and MazatlƔn, recognize a different energy awaits.
āMessi coming, it's great for the league, the first time he's playing away,ā said FCD winger Paul Arriola. āThereās no surprise that it'll be sold out and I'm sure there will be different colors in the stadium. But for us it's all about winning, it's all about competing and trying to win the championship.ā
Itās also about corralling Messi, who formally joined Miami in mid-July and has delivered five goals and one assist in three matches. The seven-time Ballon dāOr winner has slotted onto the right wing, forming a strong partnership with Josef MartĆnez at striker and Robert Taylor at left wing in head coach Gerardo āTataā Martinoās 4-3-3 formation.
Yet for Dallas head coach Nico EstĆ©vez, itās not just about limiting arguably the greatest player of all time.
āMessi has a lot of strength, but he also has weaknesses,ā said EstĆ©vez. āWe have to exploit that. Every player in Miami we do the same. Every player in Miami deserves the respect that we have to treat them as who they are, professional players that are good. We treat Inter Miami as a collective.
āOf course, as with any other team that we analyze, we try to pick any individual, special talent. We've done that before with LAFC and Carlos Vela, \[DĆ©nis\] Bouanga. We've done it before with Nashville and \[Hany\] Mukhtar. There are a lot of good players in the league. But we also think that the collective can beat the individual.ā
Still, there is a level of respect ā and even admiration ā players often feel when facing Messi. That combination manifests especially in Dallas midfielder Alan Velasco, a fellow Argentine.
āWe are going to welcome Lionel Messi and Inter Miami until the game starts,ā said Velasco. āIt will be a dream to play against Messi.ā
Dallas left back Marco Farfan, anticipating his 1-v-1 matchup with Messi, said it boils down to a team effort. The stakes are clear.
āEverybody is treating this like a playoff game ā it's win or go home,ā said Farfan. āWe want to go out there, bring the intensity and play our style and play with confidence.ā