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Matias Rojas: The potential ace up Tata Martino’s sleeve at Inter Miami

Matias Rojas: The potential ace up Tata Martino’s sleeve at Inter Miami

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The headlines, as they always do, belonged to Lionel Messi. In a 6-2 win for Inter Miami over the New York Red Bulls, the legendary Argentine either scored or assisted all six goals. No player had made four assists in a single Major League Soccer match before. Everyone at Chase Stadium for last weekend’s match saw something special.

By Graham Ruthven

And yet the performance of another Inter Miami player was profound in its own way. In only his second MLS appearance after joining the South Florida outfit from Corinthians last month, Matias Rojas found the back of the net twice – both goals from Messi assists. The Paraguayan could be Inter Miami’s secret weapon for the rest of the season.

Rojas is a good fit for the team Tata Martino has forged over the first few months of the 2024 campaign. The 28-year-old is attack-minded in the way he plays. He likes to push into advanced areas of the pitch and make late runs into the box from midfield, like he did in the demolition of the Red Bulls. 

Inter Miami might not have needed Rojas had Diego Gómez not gone down with an ankle injury last month, but the 21-year-old’s absence pushed the club into the transfer market to find a replacement and Rojas ticked all the boxes. His technical ability – and versatility – has allowed the Paraguayan to settle in quickly at Chase Stadium.

Deployed on the left side of a midfield three after coming off the bench for the start of the second half, Rojas was extremely influential, registering two shots on target, three passes into the final third and one successful dribble. As a ball carrier, creator and goal threat, the 28-year-old more than proved his worth alongside Messi, Luis Suárez and Sergio Busquets.

Inter Miami have adopted a two-pronged approach in the transfer market. While they have signed legendary stars in the form of Messi, Suarez, Busquets and Jordi Alba, the South Florida club has also looked to South America to add depth. The capture of Rojas represented the latter. 

It was an opportunistic move that made the most of a dispute between Rojas and Corinthians over image rights. The midfielder had only been at Corinthians for a year, but the Brazilian club ultimately decided to move him on rather than continue a contractual tussle. Inter Miami were the ones to benefit from this.

Fernando Redondo was another opportunistic capture. The young Argentinean midfielder had been linked with some of the biggest clubs in Europe after an impressive showing at last year’s U20 World Cup, but Inter Miami offered him the chance to play with his hero. The pull of Messi has helped the club attract new players that otherwise would have been out of their reach. Expectations are higher for Inter Miami than any other team in MLS history. Their squad is the strongest ever assembled in the league and many predicted they would sweep all before them in all competitions in 2024. An early exit from the CONCACAF Champions Cup was a blow, but in MLS, the Herons are living up to their billing as the Supporters’ Shield pacesetters.

There are obstacles ahead for Inter Miami. In particular, this summer’s Copa America means Messi will be unavailable for a key stretch of the MLS season with Suárez also expected to be at the tournament. Maintaining a Supporters’ Shield challenge through this period might prove beyond Martino.

For the time being, though, Inter Miami are setting the standard at the top of MLS – and they are getting stronger. The summer will be tricky, but the Herons are building momentum with almost every match they play at the moment. Indeed, Inter Miami have won four league matches in-a-row and have scored 16 goals in the process. 

Inter Miami will need more than just Messi to achieve their objectives for the season and that’s why the addition of Rojas could be significant. The Paraguayan provided a hint of what he could offer in his cameo off the bench against RBNY with his opening strike one of the Goals of the Season so far in MLS. There could be much more to come.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every MLS game live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Matias Rojas: The potential ace up Tata Martino’s sleeve at Inter Miami

The headlines, as they always do, belonged to Lionel Messi. In a 6-2 win for Inter Miami over the New York Red Bulls, the legendary Argentine either scored or assisted all six goals. No player had made four assists in a single Major League Soccer match before. Everyone at Chase Stadium for last weekend’s match saw something special.

By Graham Ruthven

And yet the performance of another Inter Miami player was profound in its own way. In only his second MLS appearance after joining the South Florida outfit from Corinthians last month, Matias Rojas found the back of the net twice – both goals from Messi assists. The Paraguayan could be Inter Miami’s secret weapon for the rest of the season.

Rojas is a good fit for the team Tata Martino has forged over the first few months of the 2024 campaign. The 28-year-old is attack-minded in the way he plays. He likes to push into advanced areas of the pitch and make late runs into the box from midfield, like he did in the demolition of the Red Bulls. 

Inter Miami might not have needed Rojas had Diego Gómez not gone down with an ankle injury last month, but the 21-year-old’s absence pushed the club into the transfer market to find a replacement and Rojas ticked all the boxes. His technical ability – and versatility – has allowed the Paraguayan to settle in quickly at Chase Stadium.

Deployed on the left side of a midfield three after coming off the bench for the start of the second half, Rojas was extremely influential, registering two shots on target, three passes into the final third and one successful dribble. As a ball carrier, creator and goal threat, the 28-year-old more than proved his worth alongside Messi, Luis Suárez and Sergio Busquets.

Inter Miami have adopted a two-pronged approach in the transfer market. While they have signed legendary stars in the form of Messi, Suarez, Busquets and Jordi Alba, the South Florida club has also looked to South America to add depth. The capture of Rojas represented the latter. 

It was an opportunistic move that made the most of a dispute between Rojas and Corinthians over image rights. The midfielder had only been at Corinthians for a year, but the Brazilian club ultimately decided to move him on rather than continue a contractual tussle. Inter Miami were the ones to benefit from this.

Fernando Redondo was another opportunistic capture. The young Argentinean midfielder had been linked with some of the biggest clubs in Europe after an impressive showing at last year’s U20 World Cup, but Inter Miami offered him the chance to play with his hero. The pull of Messi has helped the club attract new players that otherwise would have been out of their reach. Expectations are higher for Inter Miami than any other team in MLS history. Their squad is the strongest ever assembled in the league and many predicted they would sweep all before them in all competitions in 2024. An early exit from the CONCACAF Champions Cup was a blow, but in MLS, the Herons are living up to their billing as the Supporters’ Shield pacesetters.

There are obstacles ahead for Inter Miami. In particular, this summer’s Copa America means Messi will be unavailable for a key stretch of the MLS season with Suárez also expected to be at the tournament. Maintaining a Supporters’ Shield challenge through this period might prove beyond Martino.

For the time being, though, Inter Miami are setting the standard at the top of MLS – and they are getting stronger. The summer will be tricky, but the Herons are building momentum with almost every match they play at the moment. Indeed, Inter Miami have won four league matches in-a-row and have scored 16 goals in the process. 

Inter Miami will need more than just Messi to achieve their objectives for the season and that’s why the addition of Rojas could be significant. The Paraguayan provided a hint of what he could offer in his cameo off the bench against RBNY with his opening strike one of the Goals of the Season so far in MLS. There could be much more to come.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every MLS game live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.