FORT LAUDERDALE. At Inter Miami, nothing is the same as before.
In Häntäpää’s team, a new countdown started in July, when Lionel Messi arrived in town. In a few weeks, the little giant from Argentina turned a bag into a top team. Off the green, he turned a sloppy Florida mood into a tight security operation.
– Before, I went straight to the club’s training sessions to talk with the coach. I asked the players about other uncomplicated news and the health of the family. Now, the media is only rarely allowed into rehearsals, and it requires accreditation and passing a security check.
Before, the players walked from the training center to the arena on the night of the match. Fans took photos and hit the upper femmes with their favorite players. Now the two-hundred-meter journey is covered in a bus, out of the reach of the supporters’ eyes and touches.
A Finn also plays in the middle of this change Robert Taylor.
– It’s always nice to be with fans, talk and take pictures. I miss it in a way. But I also understand that Miami is so fired up about this issue that if the fans get close, there can be dangerous situations, says Taylor in an interview with Urheilu, which will be done at the club’s stadium right after the series game played against Nashville in the morning.
The change suits the Finn perfectly
When 28-year-old Robert Taylor settles down to wait for the starting whistle in his own striker’s plot on the left side of the center circle, Lionel Messi stands on the other side of the arc.
Behind Taylor, in the position of the left defender, the top pack, who played in Barcelona and in the Spanish national team, is doing the last stretches Jordi Alba.
And patrolling in the center of the midfield Sergio Busquets, long considered one of the best defensive midfielders in the world. He is also a former player of Barcelona and the Spanish national team.
– Before Messi came, many thought that you would get easy points here. Now we are in a situation where we take the points. Ten wins have been accumulated. One of them brought the League Cup trophy, Taylor reflects.
– I can’t find any other reason for this than that we have got three world-class players. Our coaches have also coached at the top level before.
Taylor’s body is sore from the match fog and a bad night’s sleep. My mind is also a little down, because the previous night’s match has ended in a goalless draw. Tasuri is the first in Messi’s era. There haven’t been any losses yet.
Playing has changed with new players and coaching. For an attacking player like Taylor, a different way of playing has opened up completely new opportunities.
– Now we have the best player in the world who can serve passes and completely change our game. Before the arrival of Messi, you could get three attacks per game. Now there are thirteen of them. That gives you confidence when you get close to the box, shoot and score a goal.
Goals feed confidence. After the arrival of Messi, Taylor quickly accumulated four of them. One of them was passed by Messi. Taylor, on the other hand, has done the preparatory work for two hits by the Argentine.
Acts as a pilot for Inter Miami Geraldo “Tata” Martino. Martino’s credit list includes the titles of head coach of Barcelona as well as Argentina and Mexico national teams.
– Robert is one of those players who have best found a common note with Messi. He has grown strongly as a player since Messi arrived, says Martino to Urheilu.
Some have even talked about a special chemistry between Messi and Taylor.
– I wouldn’t say that we have any special chemistry compared to our other players. It’s just easy to play with Messi. All the players around him are better because of him, Taylor thinks.
However, ideas don’t always go together even with the Miami father couple. In the match against Nashville, Messi passes the ball to Taylor on the arc of the penalty area, waiting to get it back to his running line. However, Taylor smells the goal and shoots himself. The ball goes over the goal and Messi clearly shows his frustration with the Finn’s decision. Taylor says that he immediately noticed the world star’s reaction.
– I should probably have passed. Messi rarely demands the ball in stupid situations, Taylor explains, already laughing.
Getting booed by the best soccer player in the world is a new experience for Taylor, but the reaction doesn’t affect the next situation – it’s part of soccer, the game goes on.
Taylor says he was excited to meet Messi for the first time. It happened in July over breakfast at the training center. He saw the legend in front of the elevator and went to introduce himself.
– He took all the tension out of the situation because he is such a nice guy. He smiled, said hello and asked how you were doing.
Even though Messi is used to being the center of the world, other people are interested in him.
– He asked recently in training if I was going with the Finnish national team to the qualifying games, Taylor says.
Taylor is having the best time of his career
Robert Taylor’s journey to Miami has not been easy. Taylor, who was born in Kuopio and received his football training at JJK in Jyväskylä, remembers two experiences along the way in particular that tested the player’s edge.
The first time was in Britain, where he played as a youth under twenty.
The game was at a low level. Taylor doesn’t even remember if the team was in the seventh, eighth or even tenth league level. When he found himself on the bench, thoughts began to drift away from football. Taylor says that he seriously thought about starting studies and a “proper” life.
The second real place came two years ago, when Taylor sealed the Norwegian Brann’s relegation from the highest league level by defeating the tougher in the decisive qualifying match.
– It was a mentally difficult situation. The club dropped and I took quite a lot of responsibility for it.
Taylor was saved from the bottom of the British wave by the support of his family and the contract offered by JJK. Norway’s disappointment was followed by an interest in rapako. However, the fateful injury had been preceded by effective measures on the playing field.
– Miami was a new dream to aim for.
Most followed from forgotten
Inter Miami’s press stand attracted ten journalists at best last year. Now there are sixty media representatives from many different countries.
Football journalist Kaufman says that he has given numerous interviews to international media. His podcast about Inter Miami gets comments from all over the world.
– Inter Miami was a completely forgotten club that no one was interested in. Now it is by far the most followed team in the league, and one of the most followed teams in the world, says journalist Michelle Kaufman.
Supporters don’t mind the change either. Not even though the ticket prices rose overnight from a couple of tens to hundreds of dollars at worst, because the second horizontal cup has Messi, Miami’s new messiah.
Living in this moment
Robert Taylor has also received his share of attention. There are countless articles on the Internet about Lionel Messi’s new pair of boots.
– Positive attention feels good, but I don’t let it affect my life in any way, says Taylor.
However, more pairs of eyes and player watchers are following the Finn’s performances now. Increased attention and good grip are important things for a further career.
– I haven’t given too much thought to what will happen in a year or two. It was luck that I happened to be here just when Messi decided to come here to play. I try to be grateful for every moment and stick to my playing position, says Taylor.