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Inter Miami coach Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino said on Wednesday he is “concerned” by his team’s lack of goals with the 2024 Major League Soccer season fast approaching.
Martino’s side drew 0-0 with El Salvador and lost 1-0 at FC Dallas, despite new signing Luis Suárez starting upfront alongside his former Barcelona teammate, Lionel Messi, in both games.
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The MLS club will host Real Salt Lake at DRV PNK stadium in their season opener on Feb. 21.
“If there is any concern, it is about scoring goals,” Martino said.
“But we are looking for team strength that little by little I think we are going to achieve.”
Martino, whose side travel to Saudi Arabia to face Al Hilal on Jan. 29 and Al Nassr on Feb. 1 as part of their Asia tour, said his team needs to “speed up” the process and improve.
“It is always better to win if you can, but it is not the priority,” he said. “We have it clear what we need to find on this tour. We are looking for fine-tuning. There are other objectives that go beyond the result.
“We arrived in June of last year in a situation in which the team occupied a rather uncomfortable position in the table. We had the possibility of winning our first trophy [Leagues Cup title] immediately, but we never gave up the idea of working on the team.
“We still need to speed up a little more to truly be competitive.”
Martino said the injury of Argentina international Facundo Farías has shaken the team.
Farías tore his left ACL in the goalless draw at El Salvador on Jan. 20 and is expected to miss the 2024 season.
“Facu’s injury has moved us all and makes us have a slightly strange taste from the two games we played,” Martino added.
“But if we think about it from an organizational standpoint and in what we have planned, we are on the right track.”
Inter Miami have included Argentine centre-back Nicolas Freira, who joined the MLS side on Tuesday on a season-long loan from Mexican club Pumas UNAM, in the travelling squad for their Asian tour.