MLS
Inter Miami with Messi: a brief history of a quick collapse
The plummet in terms of results by Inter Miami is due to a series of factors that have ended up preventing a historic feat.
At a point in the current campaign, Inter Miami even dared to dream of a hypothetical treble. If it had come to fruition, the squad led by new recruit Lionel Messi and managed by Tata Martino would have achieved one of the most remarkable feats in the history of sports. However, at some juncture, the course of events took an unexpected turn. Maybe, with hindsight, it wasn’t so surprising.
Messi arrives, success follows for Miami
Following a 12-game streak without conceding a single defeat, the Florida team found themselves with a first title in the bag, awaiting a cup final, and with very real chances of making it to the MLS playoffs. However, at that very moment, a hurricane of setbacks began to dismantle everything that Messi and his team had built.
Inter Miami, who had broken their positive streak with a loss against Atlanta United a couple of games earlier, ended up losing the final of the US Open Cup to a Houston Dynamo team that capitalized on the crisis that was starting to unfold within the Herons. Since that tough loss in the title match, Florida’s record is one to forget: 3 defeats and 2 draws in the MLS.
This series of poor performances and even worse results left Miami out of the playoff positions and without what would have been their second title. On Saturday, Tata Martino’s team officially bid farewell to the season with a narrow loss to Charlotte, prompting reflection on the upcoming season.
Reasons for the Miami decline
The Florida club, which embarked on an exciting project in July by signing several global stars including the former Barcelona trio of Messi, Busquets and Alba, also reinforced its future with many young and talented additions, like Avilés and Farías. Although initially this new look team hit the ground running, it gradually began to feel the lack of chemistry resulting from a significantly revamped roster.
Furthermore, Inter Miami’s hectic schedule, intertwined with international fixtures, left its biggest star, “KO’d.” Messi’s repeated absences deprived the team of its most influential player at a crucial moment. Necessary rest periods for Busquets and a minor injury to Jordi Alba left the team without its stars for several matches.
Another factor could be described as bad luck. At the start of the Messi-infused resurgence (remember when he arrived the team was bottom of the league), Miami often tipped the balance in their favour in tightly contested matches or even those in which they were the underdog. They even won three matches in quick succession via penalty shootouts, often deemed a lottery.
However, since the dip in performance, the team failed to turn around a single adverse result throughout the season.
All eyes are now on a trip to China and the new season that lies ahead...