Luis Suárez struggling to get momentum in Miami

Luis Suárez is finding it difficult to settle into the new-look Inter Miami system which looks to accommodate all of Jordi Alba, Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets. After a glittering career across the world, it seems that his latest move is presenting new challenges for El Pistolero in MLS.

Beginnings are always difficult, says an old Spanish proverb. For Luis Suárez, this new stage of his career is not starting off easily for him, and is certainly not going how many expected. The arrival of the forward at a club like Inter Miami - where he is surrounded by old friends, in a perfect league for players gifted with world class talent - gave fans hopes of a dream season for one of the best forwards of the century.

After leaving Gremio complaining of serious problems with his knee, Suárez’s career seems to be limited to a couple of seasons at most in the MLS, meaning he doesn’t have much time to get up to speed and begin performing at the level everyone expects. The team’s wobbly pre-season left many doubts regarding the side and the atmosphere as a result was not conducive to allowing a new forward to settle in.

Seven friendlies and two league games later, the Uruguayan has only been able to score one goal: against Al-Hilal during the Asian leg of the team’s world tour. At the start of the MLS 2024, his partnership with Messi is not giving the results that were expected and he has only been able to add statistics by giving an assist to Diego Gómez in the second goal scored against Real Salt Lake.

Suárez is not managing to find good finishing positions in his games with the team. The forward is playing as a reference point up front, just ahead of a Messi who plays with freedom in behind, and Robert Taylor who naturally looks for spaces starting on the right wing. The left wing is usually occupied by Jordi Alba, who arrives very high when Inter Miami advance with the ball.

This system is not the most favourable so far for the ‘Charrúa’: his scoring ability and his exceptional natural talent can flip the situation at any time. However, the current problem is not that Suárez is not missing clear chances or having problems taking advantage of good chances, but that he is having almost no impact on the game and is not the first option for his teammates when looking for goal.