After Inter Miami were eliminated from the Champions Cup by Liga MX giants Monterrey, manager Gerardo 'Tata' Martino stated his belief that current MLS roster rules put American teams at a disadvantage.
Miami lost the second leg 3-1 at the Estadio BBVA, extending their winless run to five games. Martino felt his team competed well, especially considering injuries, up until German Berterame's long-range strike that effectively ended their hopes.
The former Argentina boss thinks MLS needs to relax some of the many rules regarding squad sizes and player availability. Injuries, suspensions and absences are harder for MLS clubs to cope with than their Liga MX counterparts.
Martino's comments echo those of New England Revolution manager Caleb Porter, whose team lost 9-2 on aggregate to Liga MX powerhouse Club America. While Porter's Revs aren't star-studded, Martino has top players like Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez at his disposal.
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Despite creating chances against Monterrey, individual errors proved costly for Miami. Martino believes roster flexibility would help close the gap to Liga MX's dominant teams like America, Monterrey and Tigres regularly in Concacaf competitions.
Inter Miami will now aim to get back on track in MLS, sitting third in the Eastern Conference despite a lack of victories recently. However, Martino's remarks underline the challenges MLS faces against Liga MX's superior squads.
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