He was a hero with River, is studying a university degree while starring in MLS and will try again to stop Messi: “It’s difficult, but you have to try.”

Last July 25 was not just another day for us Santiago Sosa: He participated in the first match as a starting player Lionel Messi As a player Inter Miami And the midfielder Atlanta United He had the difficult task of monitoring the Argentine star from a close distance. Despite the harsh 4-0 defeat against… league cup, Sosa took away a treasure that he will forever keep in a special place, one of the shirts Leo wore that hot night.

He is originally from Mercedes, a city an hour away from Buenos Aires, and has been playing since he was 10 years old river plate, The club where he made his football debut admitted this in an interview information It cost him the departure of the team of which he is also a fan: “It was just a time when many titles were achieved, but I made the decision more than anything else for a sporting matter.”

Sosa made his River debut in the historic tournament Copa Libertadores 2018In El Melonario, he played 21 official matches and participated in three Olympic matches (Libertadores 2018, Recopa 2019 and Copa Argentina 2019). Surprisingly, when he was just 21 years old and one year after his first match, he migrated to Major League Soccer.

What was not difficult for him was adapting to the United States and Major League Soccer: “When I arrived, there were four Argentine teammates in the team, and the coach Gabrielle Haynes “Later here at the club I met many people who spoke Spanish,” admits Sosa, who is also studying English and Business Administration online at UADE.

This Saturday he will face Leo Messi again, This time at home, but he remembers what it was like to have to stop him. “Marking the best player in the world is very difficult, especially when he has the ball at his feet and the court in front of him, who also has the possibility of not only dribbling you, but also providing assistance. It’s complicated, but you have to try,” he says, laughing.

Sosa believes that Inter Miami is a completely different team since the arrival of Messi, Tata and other figures (Busquets and Jordi Alba) who joined: “They have another style of play, more attacking, more direct, and when they arrive they score goals,” but their team has the weapons needed to win: “We are a team that always suggests, especially when we play at home, with our team we always tend to attack.” Much more.

Moreover, he admits it In the United States, Messi is highly respected. That after the achievement in Qatar “there are only words of admiration” and that they will receive him well at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta United Stadium). He stressed: “They are all very happy that he is coming to play here, and we all want to face him to see what level we have reached as players.”

Santiago admits that he spends a large part of his day at the club, and that in addition to studying English and business administration, he frequently talks to his family and friends – whom he misses very much – via video call, and that he loves going to the park near your home. The people are also less “Cholula” than in Argentina, and although they live in a sense as “strangers,” when they recognize him they shout at him. “Let’s go, Sosa.” (“Let’s go Sousa”).

Despite his distance from his country of origin, he realizes this It maintains several Atlanta customs such as asado and mat, Which he leaves directly at the club: “Every 20 days we get together to have a barbecue with Thiago (Almada) and the guys who are available.”

on thiago almada, With whom he had a wonderful relationship, he said that the fans and the club love him very much, and that he is very happy with his football presence and because he was part of the World Cup that he won in Qatar.

Santiago admits that whenever he can, and that he doesn’t catch a match for his team, he follows River on TV, and that he would “love” to return to Millionario at some point, but he dreams of being able to achieve the goal. Jump to the Europa League at some point. “That’s why I should stand out here first,” he concludes.