Midfielder Telasco Segovia could play a critical role in today’s match between Inter Miami CF and New York City FC on the Pigeons’ tiny pitch at Yankee Stadium. CREDIT: Inter Miami CF.

Inter Miami’s season didn’t end Wednesday in Nashville, despite Heron Nation’s collective gloom after the Coyotes unceremoniously booted Los Garzas from the CONCACAF Champions Cup. The Pink & Black will play New York City FC at 1 p.m. EDT today at Yankee Stadium hoping to bounce back from that disappointment.

Why was Miami’s elimination so crushing? Because if came under the weight of self-created expectations. Within minutes of Miami’s winning its first MLS Cup in December, managing co-owner Jorge Mas told a global television audience that the Herons’ top priority in 2026 was winning Champions Cup. Only three U.S.-based teams have won the continental club championship in 60 tries — Mexican teams have lifted the cup 40 times — but the Lionel Messi-led Herons run through last year’s postseason made Mas’ audacious ambition seem possible.

Their task clear before them, Inter Miami spent the offseason bringing in players to help the Herons beat Liga MX’s best. They didn’t get the chance.

Nashville warmed up by eliminating Atletico Ottawa in the Cup’s first round, while Miami had a bye. The rivals drew 0-0 in Nashville and 1-1 in Miami, but the Coyotes advanced because of CONCACAF’s away-goal tiebreaker.

There goes the season. Except the Herons have to keep playing. There are 30 more matches to be played in the Major League Soccer season; Miami should contend for a second Supporters’ Shield and could become the first team since the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2012 to win back-to-back MLS Cups. And another Leagues Cup could help the Herons salvage their season (they won the inaugural tournament between MLS and Liga MX sides in 2023 against Nashville).

The rest of the season begins today in the Bronx against a very good NYCFC side. The Pigeons enter the match atop the Eastern Conference standings with 10 points in four matches (tied with — who else? — Nashville); Miami is tied for third with seven points. Coach Javier Mascherano told reporters Saturday that the Herons can’t dwell on Wednesday’s result.

“We can’t change what happened, and there’s no point in dwelling on it and regretting it. Clearly, we’re still in the process of accepting and coming to terms with the disappointment of being eliminated,” Mascherano said according to Michelle Kaufman’s report in the Miami Herald. “That’s soccer. It happens. But I think it’s up to us to prove that what happened the other day was just a fluke. And well, the best way to prove it is to focus on the league now.”

Miami beat the Pigeons 5-1 in the Eastern Conference championship game in November, but NYCFC has won eight of the teams’ all-time matchups to just three victories for Miami. Los Garzas have just one win in six tries at Yankee Stadium. Form, as well as history, are against the Herons today. The undefeated Pigeons have scored 11 goals and allowed three in their four matches; the usually explosive Miami offense has produced just seven goals in six contests so far; the usually suspect defense, on the other hand, has allowed just seven goals.

The Herons will play without three starters this afternoon. Midfielder Rodrigo De Paul suffered a bruised leg Wednesday and will sit out today’s match; center back Maxi Falcon (knee) and left back Sergio Reguilon (leg muscle strain) are out with injuries.

Messi is expected to play before joining the Argentina national team for friendly matches against Mauritania (Friday) and Zambia (March 31).

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Son Heung-min and Denis Bouanga embrace after Bouanga’s goal in LAFC’s 3-0 season-opening win against defending MLS Cup champion Inter Miami. CREDIT: Major League Soccer

Relax, Herons’ fans. Inter Miami’s 3-0 loss to LAFC was Game 1 of 34 in the new Major League Soccer season; there’s a lot of soccer left to play.

That doesn’t mean there aren’t reasons for concern; obviously there are. But there’s also plenty of time for coach Javier Mascherano and captain Lionel Messi to mold MLS’ most talented roster into its most formidable team.

“We clearly know we have a lot to improve,” Mascherano told reporters after Saturday’s match at the sold-out Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. “We need to keep building on the positive things we’ve done, correct the mistakes we made, and keep moving forward.”

A league-record opening day crowd of 75,673 watched the Black & Gold, led by superstars Son Heung-min and Denis Bouanga, outshine the Pink & Black’s highly touted, Messi-led eleven. But, despite its many preseason plaudits, Los Garzas is a very different squad in 2026 than the side that lifted the MLS cup in December.

Generational talents Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets retired. Key contributors Baltazar Rodríguez, Oscar Ustari, and Marcelo Weigandt are gone and playoff standouts Rocco Ríos Novo and Tadeo Allende started the season on the bench. Newcomers Dayne St. Clair, Germán Berterame, Sergio Reguilón (injured in a preseason friendly), Micael, David Ayala and Facundo Mura are learning Mascherano’s style and building chemistry with their new teammates.

Obviously, the 2026 Herons remain a work in progress. Based on Saturday’s performance in LA, here’s where that work should be focused:

REBUILDING FROM THE BACK — Alba and Busquets retired after Miami’s championship season, ending the Herons’ “Barca Boys” era at IMCF. They cannot be replaced; without Busi orchestrating play from the back and Alba pushing forward to support Messi, LAFC controlled the midfield and rarely threatened the home side’s goal.

Reguilón is expected to play left back when he returns, and Ayala is the heir apparent in the defensive midfield. Noah Allen started in Alba’s spot Saturday. Another possible solution in Reguilón’s absence is moving Mura to left back and starting Ian Fray on the right, although Fray started ahead of Mura against the Black & Gold.

Yannick Bright started beside DePaul on Saturday; Ayala was available off the bench but didn’t play.

CONFIDENCE IN GOAL — New net minder Dayne St. Claire won MLS Goalkeeper of the Year last year for Minnesota, but Miami plays a far more aggressive defensive style, pressing high and leaving its center backs and keeper vulnerable in transition. The Loons prefer a compact low block, surrounding their goalkeeper with defenders.

St. Claire is undoubtedly a talented player, but he will face more shots and be challenged one-on-one more often wearing the pink than he was in Minnesota. He needs to improve his positioning, make strategic decisions more quickly, and become more adept at dribbling and passing the ball.

His inexperience in the Herons’ system was on full display Saturday, especially on the second goal. St. Claire froze, neither attacking or retreating as a long ball bounced over his head to Bouanga, who scored easily.

If St. Claire doesn’t show improvement, Rocco “Block-o” Rios Novo is waiting.

LOONEY LINEUP — Mascherano got this starting lineup all wrong. The Herons were spectacular in last year’s playoffs using Messi as a false nine with Mateo Silvetti on the left and Allende on the right. Baltasar Rodríguez, Busquets and De Paul helped balance the field in front of wing backs Alba and Fray and center backs Allen and Maxi Falcón.

Saturday, Mascherano chose to go back to a 4-2-3-1, with newcomer Berterame up top, Telasco Segovia and Silvetti on the left and right wings flanking Messi, Miami homegrown players Allen and Fray the wing backs. Micael and Falcón were the center backs.

We already discussed the roster turnover, but Mascherano’s charges would have been more effective with Silvetti on the left wing and Allende on the right. Segovia should play more centrally, and I’d like to see him get a shot in the defensive midfield. He is a more attack-minded midfielder while Bright is a defensive beast. If Ayala is as good as advertised, Bright and Segovia both will be on the bench, but both are valuable pieces to Inter Miami’s puzzle.

I also would have liked to see whether Mura could play on the left ahead of Allen in Reguilón‘s absence with Fray on the right. Or keep Allen as a starter and give Mura the nod over Fray.

Having a deep roster is a luxury in MLS, and multiple options at every position is crucial to any team’s success. Ultimately, lineup debates are a good problem to have.

As the players become more familiar with the system and their new teammates, and Mascherano becomes more familiar with his players, the most effective eleven will emerge. With Miami beginning its CONCACAF Champions Cup campaign next week, I hope that eleven emerges sooner rather than later.

COMING UP

FINAL FRIENDLY — Inter Miami will play Ecuadorian side Independiente del Valle at 7 p.m. ET Thursday at Estadio Juan Ramón Loubriel in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. The friendly match, originally scheduled Feb. 13, was postponed when Messi suffered a minor hamstring pull in preseason to ensure Puerto Rican fans might have a chance to see the international icon play.

SUNSHINE DERBY — The Herons and intrastate rival Orlando City SC meet at 7 p.m. Sunday at Inter & Co. Stadium in Orlando. The Lions, in the midst of a rebuild, lost their home opener, 1-2 Saturday against the New York Red Bulls. While the Purple Pride seem focused on younger talent, they reportedly are in talks to sign star striker Antoine Griezmann, 34, from Spanish side Atlético Madrid.

CHAMPIONS CUP — Inter Miami managing owner Jorge MAs has made it clear winning the region’s continental club cup is the team’s priority in 2026. That quest will begin March 11 in Nashville or Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The Coyotes — Miami’s frequent rivals in high-stakes matches over the past several years, host Atlético Ottawa at 8 p.m. ET tonight leading the two-match tie 2-0. The winner will host the Herons March 11 and visit Chase Stadium for the second leg March 18.

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Will Lionel Messi win an unprecedented third-straight MVP?

Can Inter Miami become the first team to win consecutive MLS Cups since the 2012 LA Galaxy ?

Is Son Heung-min about to become the face of MLS?

For your edification and/or amusement, Southeast Soccer Report MLS writers Ken Garner (Inter Miami) and Ronan Briscoe (Nashville SC) do their best to answer these and other questions below.

Only one Southeast Soccer Report writer predicted Inter Miami CF would lift its first MLS Cup in 2025. Can the Herons repeat this year? CREDIT: Major League Soccer

The Year of Pink and Black and Gold?

Ken and Ronan agree, with many other MLS watchers, that Inter Miami and LAFC will meet for the MLS Cup title Dec. 18. Miami will be a contender as long as Messi dons the Herons’ colors, and the team of Son and Denis Bouanga is expected to elevate LAFC from a very-good squad to one threatening to win major trophies.

Who takes home the hardware? Ken likes the new-look champs, who lost iconic stars Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets to retirement after Miami won the 2025 MLS Cup. Ronan expects the Black & Gold, who lifted the Cup in 2022, to win their second league title.

The guys also expect Messi to win a third-straight MVP, and Ronan thinks the Argentine great will win a second-straight Golden Boot (Ken gives Bouanga, who thrived after Son’s arrival last summer, his nod to lead goal-scorers).

PREDICTIONS

GARNER

CHAMPIONS CUP: Inter Miami

OPEN CUP: Chicago Fire

LEAGUES CUP: FC Cincinnati

EAST: FC Cincinnati, Inter Miami, Philadelphia, Chicago, Nashville, Columbus, Orlando, Atlanta United, New York Red Bulls, Toronto, Charlotte, NYCFC, DC United, New England, Montréal

WEST: LAFC, San Diego, Seattle, Minnesota, Austin, Houston, Vancouver, LA Galaxy, Portland, Real Salt Lake, FC Dallas, San Jose, St. Louis City, Colorado, Sporting KC

SUPPORTERS’ SHIELD: LAFC

EAST FINALIST: Inter Miami

WEST FINALIST: LAFC

MLS CUP: Inter Miami

MVP: Lionel Messi, Inter Miami

GOLDEN BOOT: Denis Bouanga, LAFC

COACH of the YEAR: Greg Vanney, LA Galaxy

BRISCOE

CHAMPIONS CUP: Toluca

OPEN CUP: New York City FC

LEAGUES CUP: Inter Miami CF

EAST: Miami, Nashville, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, New York City, Charlotte, Columbus, New York Red Bulls, Chicago, Orlando, Atlanta, Toronto, New England, DC United, Montreal

WEST: LAFC, Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, San Diego, Minnesota, LA Galaxy, RSL, Dallas, Austin, Minnesota, Houston, Colorado, St Louis, SKC

SUPPORTERS’ SHIELD: Inter Miami

EAST FINALIST: Inter Miami

WEST FINALIST: LAFC

MLS CUP: LAFC

MVP: Lionel Messi

GOLDEN BOOT: Lionel Messi

COACH of the YEAR: BJ Callaghan, Nashville SC

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Former Celta de Vigo forward Tadeo Allende, who played a key role in Inter Miami’s 2025 MLS Cup run while on loan from the Spanish club, has signed a five-year contract with the Herons. CREDIT: Inter Miami CF

Los Garzas acquire cup-hero Allende in latest major signing

The rich certainly seem to be getting richer.

Since winning its first MLS Cup in December with the league’s most expensive roster, Inter Miami has bid farewell to legends Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets and continues to add depth and talent with a series of high-profile signings.

Playoffs hero Tadeo Allende is the Herons’ most recent acquisition. The Argentine winger, on loan from La Liga side Celta de Vigo, set a league record with nine goals in the 2025 MLS postseason, including the clinching score in Miami’s 3-1 Cup win Dec. 6 against the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Some pundits doubted whether Allende would wear the Pink and Black this season, given his heightened profile, but managing owner Jorge Mas made it clear on Saturday that resigning Allende, 26, was a priority.

“Tadeo was a key player for us; it was extraordinary what he did at the end of the year, so yes, he will be on our roster this season and will be returning to camp in the coming days,” Mas told reporters at the Herons’ first day of preseason training Saturday.

Miami signed Allende through 2030, with an option for 2031. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The Herons started the offseason focused on fortifying the defense, adding wing backs Facundo Mura and Sergio Reguilón, center back Micael, defensive midfielder David Ayala, and 2025 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Dayne St. Clair.

More recently, they’ve focused on restocking an offense that led MLS in scoring each of the past two seasons (league best goal totals of 79 in 2024 and 81 last season).

New deals with Allende and veteran striker Luis Suarez (10 goals and 11 assists in league play last year after a 20/9 season in 2024) were the first steps in ensuring Lionel Messi has help in the attack; the Herons also reportedly will sign striker Germán Berterame from Mexican-side Monterrey in the coming days.

Inter Miami begins a three-game South American preseason tour Saturday with a game against Alianza Lima in Peru, followed by a Jan. 31 game against Atletico Nacional in Colombia and a Feb. 7 game against Barcelona de Guayaquil in Ecuador.

Los Garzas will open the 2026 MLS season Feb. 21 at Los Angeles FC. Inter Miami’s first five matches are away from home while Miami Freedom Park Stadium construction is finished.

The first home game in the new stadium is scheduled for Apr. 4 against Austin FC.

Club Internacional de Fútbol Miami captain Lionel Messi lifts the club’s first MLS Cup trophy Dec. 6 after the Herons’ 3-1 victory against the Western Conference champion Vancouver Whitecaps at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. CREDIT: InterMiamiCF.com

Success fuels Herons’ appetite for titles

Club Internacional de Futbol Miami lifted its first MLS Cup a month ago, but Los Garzas’ front office didn’t celebrate long. The Herons are planning for bigger and better things in 2026.

“The best version of your Inter Miami is yet to come,” club co-owner Jorge Mas posted on social media in mid-December. “We cannot and will not stay static… we promise our fans and ‘La familia’ that we will reload in 2026 as our primary goal is to win the (CONCACAF Champions Cup) and qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup.”

Inter Miami declared its audacious intentions even before playing its first matches in 2020: to recruit the world’s best players, to win domestic and international trophies, and to become a global soccer brand. Six years ago, those goals seemed wildly optimistic for any Major League Soccer side.

But the world took notice when the Herons signed Lionel Messi, the world’s greatest soccer player and hero of Argentina’s 2022 World Cup victory. Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, Luis Suarez, Javier Mascherano and Rodrigo De Paul — all world class players who played with Messi at Barcelona and/or Argentina. Messi’s gravity drew Inter Miami from MLS obscurity into global soccer’s orbit.

Success on the pitch took a little longer. Messi’s arrival coincided with Los Garza’s successful run to the inaugural Leagues Cup championship in 2023 — the team’s first major trophy — but the Herons failed to qualify for the playoffs.

Gerardo “Tata” Martinez, who had coached Barcelona and the Mexican national team and won the 2018 MLS Cup with Atlanta United, guided the Herons to a league-record 70 points in 2024 but resigned shortly after Atlanta dispatched top-seeded Miami in the postseason’s first round in perhaps the greatest upset in MLS history. The Supporters’ Shield, presented to the team with the best regular-season record, was the team’s second major trophy but felt like a consolation prize.

Enter Javier Mascherano, an iconic defender who played with Messi at Barcelona and La Albiceleste, to coach the Pink & Black. Despite never having coached at the club level, Mascherano and Inter Miami started 2025 expecting to win multiple trophies.

But competition by competition, the Herons failed to lift hardware: dominated in the CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinals by Vancouver, booted from the FIFA Club World Cup by Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16, beaten by Seattle in the Leagues Cup championship…the star-studded Inter Miami side was under tremendous pressure to win MLS Cup, its last chance for glory in 2025.

Suddenly, nearing the end of what had been a successful but disappointing season, the Herons found their form. Los Garzas won eight of their final nine matches, including playoffs, by a cumulative score of 33-8. Mascherano gave youngsters Baltasar Rodriguez and Mateo Silvetti greater responsibility, injecting new energy allowing a more direct attack and better defensive coverage. The better-balanced side played some of the most beautiful soccer ever played in South Florida during the final weeks of the season; the stretch run saw the benching of iconic striker Suarez and the resurgence of inconsistent right wing Tadeo Allende (who set a new MLS record for goals scored in a playoff tournament).

Winning heals many wounds; doubts about Mascherano’s coaching ability dissolved and despair over the Herons’ near misses in the Champions Cup and Leagues Cup evolved into appreciation for the team’s strong showing.

Fans are fickle, though, and already-high expectations are elevated heading into 2026. Every year, the Herons declare their intent to win all the trophies; four are available in 2026: Champions Cup, Leagues Cup, Supporters’ Shield and the MLS Cup.

The Champions Cup is the most prestigious trophy available annually to club sides in North and Central America. Mexican teams have dominated the competition, making it even more important to American and Canadian sides as a barometer of their leagues’ quality.

The Leagues Cup is a partnership between Liga MX and Major League Soccer that still is trying to establish itself as a legitimate competition. Through its first three iterations, all matches have been played in the United States. The tournament has provided some exciting matches and it’s fun to see North America’s top teams compete, but Leagues Cup remains primarily a made-for-TV, revenue-generating enterprise.

Most fans disregard Supporters’ Shield, but it does represent a significant achievement. And the award isn’t just symbolic; the team with the best overall record earns home-field advantage throughout the MLS Cup playoffs, including the final. That’s not nothing.

Finally, the Herons will try to become the first team to defend its MLS title since the Los Angeles Galaxy, who won the 2011 and 2012 MLS Cups.

If winning Champions Cup is the Herons’ top priority, repeating as league champions must be second; that makes earning another Supporters’ Shield (and home-field advantage) even more important. The Leagues Cup is considered a major tournament only because CONCACAF uses it as a qualifier for the next season’s Champions Cup.

UP NEXT: Building the 2026 Herons.

Charlotte FC’s 2025 season came to an end last Friday as The Crown fell 3-1 to NYFC in game three. Both teams knew going in that their season was on the line and one team would advance to the next round. Once again, I am glad to be joined by Sean Faherty and Film from the Fortress as we dive into the match.

Looking at the starting xi there were no changes from game two. Starting up top were Wilfried Zaha and Kerwin Vargas on the wings with Idan Toklomati leading the attack. The midfield three consisted of Djibril Diani, Ashley Westwood and Brandt Bronico. The back four was made up of a center back pairing of Tim Ream and Adilson Malanda while Nathan Byrne and Harry Toffolo held it down on the flanks.

Alex

No complaints from me. As previously stated, this was the same starting lineup we saw in game two. I was happy to see Adilson get the start in what would turn out to be his final game in a Charlotte uniform before he begins his career in England.

Sean

This is the lineup I expected and it’s a shame we couldn’t make more happen. New York played pretty tight defense the whole series and in the first 30 minutes of this match we had a lot of chances just couldn’t really get any shots off.

Film

This is the expected lineup but sadly this playoff we could not use our best lineup. The omission of Pep Biel due to injury left an attacking gap that CLTFC could not fill in the playoffs. With Biel out, Bronico pushed forward into a more attacking role. While Bronico has incredible hustle and a willingness to play anywhere on the pitch, he lacks the technical skills and playmaking ability as Biel. Bronico had a few chances this series and failed to get a good shot off. If we could have gotten Biel in that role we may have had a different series.

Additionally, because Bronico was pushed higher up, he was not in a defensive role screening in front of our defense. We could have used his recovery speed in a deeper position to help Byrne and Ream against NYCFC’s counter attacks.

Now let’s get into the match. The final score might have been 3-1 but the stats provide more detail on how we got there. Charlotte outshot NYC 16-8, however NYC had seven shots on goal to one for Charlotte. On the defensive side, the game was physical from both sides. Despite no red cards being given out, Charlotte committed 16 fouls while picking up two yellow cards. NYC committed 15 fouls and picked up three yellow cards.

The first half felt tough from both sides where it felt one goal could come at any moment, and it did. Near the end of the first half, NYCFC broke through Charlotte’s defense to take a 1-0 lead into the break. Coming out of the half, NYC didn’t let up as they put another one past Kahlina in the 50th minute. However, Charlotte didn’t give up as Idan Toklomati was finally able to break through in the 81st minute to put Charlotte on the board. Idan’s goal proved to come too late as NYC put a third past Kahlina in injury time to make the final score 3-1.

Alex

Losing isn’t fun, we all know that. Losing in the playoffs hurts worse. The first half felt it could go either way until NYC broke the tie. Watching the game, it felt like all the momentum shifted completely to the visitors. Scoring so quickly out of the break meant that Charlotte had a lot of work to do to get back in the game. I liked seeing Idan score, I just wish it would have come about 20 minutes earlier. Obviously, I would have liked to see Charlotte win and move on, but I wanted a win more for Adilson so that his last match wouldn’t be a 3-1 loss. I’m dissapointed but happy with the season overall and hope making the playoffs becomes the standard in the Queen City.

Sean

Charlotte actually had a pretty good chance in the first part of the first half. They had plenty of opportunities and a couple shots and set pieces putting them in a good chance to score. Once NY scored late in the first half, the momentum really shifted. Later in the match you could see Charlotte fighting to get back and at least tie it up, problem was they had many shots late in the second half but none were on goal. Unfortunately, that isn’t going to get it done. Once NY scored that third goal late, that kind of sealed it for them.

I just wanted to say a huge thank you to Southeast Soccer Report for allowing me to cover Charlotte FC this season, and a thank you to the other guys in this article allowing me to collab with them. Never thought I would be given this opportunity and it’s so much fun and really excited to keep the momentum going next season. Cheers!

Film

This game (and playoff series) was consistency versus potential. NYCFC was consistent each and every game, playing safe and simple soccer. CLTFC had the talent and ability to run them off the field but they were unable to find and sustain that level of play. The first 20 minutes of this game was all Charlotte. Zaha was finding space in the attacking third and CLTFC looked dangerous and the likely team to score. NYCFC slowed the game down with holding possession but struggled to create. But NYCFC found 3 different Charlotte FC set pieces where they were able to counter and get their goals. Especially the first two, CLT pushed Malanda into the box for a long throw (and then corner for the second one) but failed to get the ball into the box. NYCFC countered and Byrne and Ream did not have the pace to slow them down.

I look back on this series and am still not convinced that NYCFC is a good team. Charlotte had the talent and ability to run NYCFC off the field in this series but failed to have enough attacking ability to get the goals needed. NYCFC sat back, played conservative and challenged Charlotte to break down their defense. Zaha did provide that spark once with an incredible ball to Toffolo leading to the lone CLT goal in this series. But CLTFC will head into the offseason still needing to find a way to score against a set defense.

A huge thank you to Sean and Film for breaking the game down with me. Also, thank you to all of the readers for joining us this season as we covered an exciting soccer season in Charlotte.

Remember to stay locked in with the Southeast Soccer Report for your offseason Charlotte FC coverage.

After a loss in game one to go down 1-0 in the series, the boys from the 704 looked to keep their playoff dreams alive on the road at Yankee Stadium. Winning on the road is tough and going on the road down a game with your season on the line can separate the contenders from the pretenders. Once again, I am happy to be joined by fellow Charlotte FC contributors Sean Faherty (FahertyFilms) and Film (Film from the Fortress).

To kick things off, let’s go over the starting xi that Dean Smith chose to go with. The front three consisted of Wilfried Zaha and Kerwin Vargas on the wings with Idan Toklomati upfront. The men in the midfield were Djbril Diani, Brandt Bronico and the man with the armband Ashley Westwood. With Kahlina in net, let’s see the four men in front of him. Dean decided to go with a centerback pairing of Tim Ream and Adilson Malanda while Nathan Byrne and Harry Toffolo held it down on the flank.

Alex

The lineup was similar to the one we saw in game one with one change. Wilfried Zaha is back from his suspension. That is major as it’s no secret that having your best players available gives you the best chance to win and Zaha provides another dynamic element in the attack. The rest of the lineup remains unchanged from game one and although I like Marshall-Rutty in the left back spot, Harry Toffolo is a good player and unlike Marshall-Rutty, he is under contract for the next few seasons. No complaints from me, glad to have Wilf back.

Sean

ZAHA IS BACK! Charlotte’s best player is back after serving a 1-game suspension for a red card and we were looking for a strong game from him. This is the classic Charlotte lineup I think of that went on the hot streak at the end of the season. Obviously Wilf is the one to talk about in this match for me because of what he brings to the table. Other than that, no surprises on the lineup and it’s exactly what I expect from Dean-O. Hoping this lineup gives us the advantage to force a game 3 back in Charlotte for two reasons; one being that I want to win in NY and the second being I know that gives CLT FC the best chance to advance to the second round.

Film

This is the lineup that CLTFC will run for their entire MLS playoff run, however far it goes. It cannot be stressed enough how important Zaha is to this lineup. Despite being slotted on the left side, Zaha plays most of the game drifting inward into the left half-space and center. In this way he is playing more as a #10 playmaker than as a winger, and this has been even more frequent since the Pep Biel injury. The other interesting wrinkle is despite it being a midfield 3, Brandt Bronico is playing as a more advanced midfielder with Westwood and Diani being deeper as holding midfielders. Bronico will join Toklomati in the front of the press in a 4-4-2 shape. In possession, Bronico will stay forward and be willing to either go central or drift wide to the right based on the movement of the other attackers and space avaliable. In this game, Bronico found himself in some great positions to create including a cross from the right that Toffolo should have scored and a nice pass from inside the box that setup Westwood’s shot off the crossbar.

Now let’s get into the match. If you paid attention to the alerts on your phone, you would have seen the match was 0-0 after regulation. We all know there are ties in soccer but not in the playoffs, someone has to win the game. On to penalties we go. NYCFC had a chance to end Charlottes playoff hopes and Charlotte had a chance to take game three back to the Queen City. When it was all said and done, Kristijan Kahlina decided that The Crown wasn’t done as his penalty save propelled Charlotte to a 7-6 win.

Alex

I was pumped when Kahlina made the final save. A win is a win and right now, there isn’t one bigger than game two. Shoutout to the defense as well, NYCFC outshot Charlotte 18-8 so the boys on the backline had to be up for it all game and they were. Playoff soccer is different and in a win or go home game, the boys didn’t stop fighting and the result is an even series.

Sean

Kahlina, Kahlina, Kahlina. He came up big with that save late in the penalties to force a game 3 and my mouth dropped when he got a hand on that ball to make the save. I thought the game was pretty scrappy and you could tell how bad both teams wanted to win. These teams have a lot of fight in them as the entire series they have played pretty good defense. Charlotte had a few chances in the first half and really should have had a two goal lead but they were just inches off. Bronico with his wicked shot that hit the cross bar and then Westwood right at the end of the half kissed the post as well. I was really hoping at least one of those found the back of the net. Then both teams fought to force penalties which is always very exciting. They lasted a while and you could tell the players had the fight in them. Finally, Kahlina came up with a huge save and Charlotte and then Nathan Byrne came up big with a final score to force game 3 and come back to Charlotte. I’m happy this game is on a Friday because having game 1 on a Tuesday was tough for the boys. The energy felt a little off and I’m sure it hindered the crowd, so now that game 3 is Friday I expect the supporters to bring all the energy. Nobody wants to come to “the Bank” and play Charlotte FC so I’m hoping home field advantage will be exactly what they need to advance to round two.

Film

This was much better from Charlotte FC. Zaha’s freedom to move in and out of the midfield and his skill on the ball helped CLTFC progress the ball into the attack and once in the attack he helped create the chances. He drifted centrally to receive a ball allowing Toffolo to overlap on the left and cross in leading to Bronico’s shot off the post. Similarly, Charlotte’s best chance of the game came from Vargas making a nice dribble through the midfield and finding Zaha centrally. Zaha then found Bronico wide on the right who crossed it in. Toklomati made an incredible dummy but Toffolo flubbed the tap in.

Despite creating more, CLTFC still has room for improvement. They can be more solid defensively and are still struggling to buildup passed NYCFC’s press. On the flip side, despite NYCFC statistically looking better in this match (they had a xG of 1.5 to CLT’s 0.6) I was overall unimpressed. Outside of set pieces and mistakes by CLT, NYCFC has struggled to create any scoring threat themselves.

Heading into game 3 it feels like this series is there for CLTFC to step up and take. I think CLT is the more skilled team with a more dangerous attack and solid defense when playing at their full potential. But NYCFC’s baseline performance is solid with no major weaknesses. If CLT come out playing fast, dyanmic, and tactically solid I think they could run away with this game. But based on how these first 2 games went, this may be another scrappy and uninspiring 90 minutes decided by a mistake, set piece, or another shootout.

Once again, a huge thank you to both Sean and Film for helping out and giving their thoughts on game one. Game three is set for a 7:00 kickoff Friday night. This one is for all the marbles, one team will move on while the other will begin offseason preparations.

Reported today by Doug Roberson of the AJC, Atlanta United are finalizing terms to bring back legendary manager Gerardo “Tata” Martino. He was one of 6 finalists for the job, beating out former Portland Timbers manager Giovanni Savarese, the man he also beat in the 2018 MLS Cup Final. Tata is known for winning Atlanta their only league title and developing a South American flair that took the league by storm.

Martino left Atlanta United for the Mexican national team job after the MLS Cup triumph and won the 2019 Gold Cup soon after, but his tenure ended after Mexico were grouped in the 2022 World Cup. He was the Inter Miami manager from June 2023 to November 2024, where he won the 2023 Leagues Cup and 2024 Supporters Shield with a league record 74 points. He left the club for personal reasons after losing to Atlanta United in the first round of the playoffs.

There are a plenthora of questions on if this return is strictly for nostalgia, out of desperation, or the best hire available. There are also plenty of logistical questions. Could Tata steer the club away from European signings and back to the South American market? Can he maximize Miguel Almiron and the other DP’s? How long will he stay at the club? Will he be able to choose his own players with former Miami employer Chris Henderson?

If you want to give your initial thoughts on the move that address some of the questions above, please fill out our survey. The best answers and total results will appear in a future article on the website.

This article will be updated when Martino is officially announced as manager, which could be as soon as tomorrow.

Well the MLS Cup Playoffs are underway and Charlotte FC began their journey on October 28th. The Crown welcomed NYCFC to the Fortress for the first game in a best of three series. The result did not favor the home side as NYCFC walked away with a 1-0 win as both teams prepare for game two in the iconic Yankee Stadium. For this recap, I am happy to be joined by fellow Charlotte FC contributors Sean Faherty (FahertyFilms) and Film (Film from the Fortress).

To kick things off, let’s go over the starting xi that Dean Smith chose to go with. The front three consisted of Liel Abada and Kerwin Vargas on the wings with Idan Toklomati upfront. The men in the midfield were Djbril Diani, Brandt Bronico and the man with the armband Ashley Westwood. With Kahlina in net, let’s see the four men in front of him. Dean decided to go with a centerback pairing of Tim Ream and Adilson Malanda while Nathan Byrne and Harry Toffolo held it down on the flank.

Alex

No major complaints from me on the lineup. We knew going into this one that Zaha was going to miss game one due to the red card he picked up in the regular season finale and I’m not mad at Abada and Vargas getting the start as both guys have played those roles for the team during the season. On the defensive side, the only thing I would have liked to see was a fullback pairing of Marshall-Rutty and Byrne. I don’t have anything against Harry, I just would have preferred to go with Marshall-Rutty in the starting spot because he has featured for the team many times this season.

Sean

I agree with Alex that we knew Zaha was going to be out this game but that really hurt us going into this game. Wilf brings such a great energy and a lot of passion to the pitch that I think we were missing on Tuesday evening. I was hoping to see a strong showing from Abada in this match to fill in his spot as I think he has pretty high expectations to live up to.

Film

No surprises with this lineup. Outside of Zaha for Abada this is the lineup I expect Dean to choose for CLT’s playoff run. While I have no issues with the lineup, I wish we had used our substitutes differently. When chasing a goal down it felt odd our first substitution was Abada for Smalls, taking off one of our more creative attacking players. I loved adding the second striker in Goodwin for Bronico but wish it has been 5 to 10 minutes sooner. Lastly, Charlotte needed someone who could move the ball through the midfield, linking our defense to our attackers in Vargas and Toklomati. This was a perfect game to bring on Williamson or Petkovic in the last 10 minutes to see if we can find a goal. I trust Dean and I am sure he has good reasons, but from in the stands I wish we had seen a few different changes.

Now let’s get into the match. The weather wasn’t great but that didn’t stop the fans from showing up to support their team. New York struck first in the 34th minute and didn’t look back as they held the lead until the final whistle. Looking at the stats NYCFC outshout Charlotte 12-9 and had five shots on goal compared to four for Charlotte. Charlotte played a cleaner game overall, committing seven fouls to eight for NYCFC. The big difference was the five yellow cards given to New York and none being given to Charlotte. Now for more in depth analysis i’ll turn it over to the two guys who were in attendance.

Sean

In the post game press conference Dean Smith mentioned the team really didn’t come out with the advantage of a home playoff game and I couldn’t agree more. The energy just did not feel like it was there on the pitch and I felt like NY dominated possession in the first half. I was looking for a strong appearance from Abada but he never really had a chance all game which was disappointing. Charlotte FC came out stronger in the second half but NY really played solid defense the entire match and never gave CLT a chance. Hopefully they can turn it on on Saturday to bring another playoff match back to the Fortress on 11/7 with a win.

Film

Disjointed is the word I would use to describe Charlotte FC this game. In possession, Charlotte did not have any way to break through NYCFC’s 5-man press. When Charlotte did get the ball forward the lack of Zaha became evident. Abada did not create and spent most of the match near the sideline where he could not make an impact. While Bronico found some good positions, he lacks the technical ability of Biel and Zaha to be that attacking playmaker. This ultimately left Toklomati isolated up front having to try to win 1 on 1 battles. Defensively, Charlotte’s press was uncoordinated with lone players sprinting forward to pressure defenders but nobody else supporting allowing NYCFC to play around the pressure. This limited Charlotte’s ability to cause turnovers and create attacks in transition.

The second half Charlotte did find some success attacking down the right side. Kerwin Vargas stretched the pitch wide on that side and was able to receive the ball forward in those wide spaces to cross. However, the runs into those crosses were not very strong and Charlotte failed to create any dangerous chances generating only 0.5xG (expected goals) out of this match.

If there was one big weakness this game it was Djbril Diani. He was slow this game both on the ball and in his off the ball positioning. He lost the ball multiples times during buildup allowing NYCFC some of its most dangerous attacks including a shot from Perea that went off the crossbar in the 31st minutes. And defensively he was out of position and unable to stop the run of Alonso Martinez that allowing him 10 yards to build up speed on his goal scoring solo run.

Getting Zaha back into the starting xi will definitely help for the next match. But CLTFC is going to have to get in sync in their buildup and their defensive pressing to avoid an early exit from the playoffs on Saturday.

A huge thank you to both Sean and Film for helping out and giving their thoughts on game one. The boys look to bounce back on Saturday as they travel to Yankee Stadium for the second leg of the first round.

Son Heung-Min holds up an LAFC jersey at the news conference announcing the Korean legend’s signing with the Major League Soccer team. Son is the favorite to win the MLS Newcomer of the Year award. CREDIT: Major League Soccer

How predictable was MLS 2025?

Not very. The defending champion Galaxy and big-spending Five Stripes tanked, Philadelphia and Vancouver outperformed expectations and an expansion team won the Western Conference. So if the picks Southeast Soccer Report made eight months ago seem a little silly, it’s been that kind of season.

The playoffs are barely underway, so this report focuses on individual awards. We’ll take a look at the finalists for each award — players who earned the highest average votes from MLS club technical staff, MLS players and select media members — and then at our writers’ predictions.

The original Southeast Soccer Report panel included Calum Ewing and Forrest Wimberly, who cover Atlanta United; Ronan Briscoe, Nashville; Alex McCaskey, Charlotte; and Ken Garner, Inter Miami.

Let’s review:

Landon Donovan MLS MVP

FINALISTS — Denis Bouanga, LAFC; Anders Dreyer, San Diego FC; Evander, FC Cincinnati; Lionel Messi, Inter Miami CF; and Sam Surridge, Nashville SC

ALEX: Messi

CALUM: Messi

FORREST: Messi

KEN: Messi

RONAN: Messi

MLS Coach of the Year

FINALISTS — Bradley Carnell, Philadelphia Union; Jesper Sørensen, Vancouver Whitecaps FC; Mikey Varas; San Diego FC

ALEX: Dean Smith, Charlotte FC

CALUM: Mikey Varas, San Diego FC

FORREST: Wilfried Nancy, Columbus

KEN: Ronny Deila, Atlanta United

RONAN: Ronny Deila, Atlanta, with honorable mentions to Brian Schmetzer, BJ Callaghan and Mikey Varas

MLS Newcomer of the Year

“Newcomer” is defined as a player with previous professional experience who made his MLS debut in 2025.

FINALISTS — Anders Dreyer, San Diego FC; Son Heung-Min, LAFC; Philip Zinckernagel; Chicago Fire FC

ALEX: Wilfried Zaha, Charlotte FC

CALUM: Myrto Uzuni, Austin FC

FORREST: Emmanuel Latte Lath, Atlanta

KEN: Emmanuel Latte Lath, Atlanta

RONAN: Miguel Almiron, Atlanta United.

MLS Goalkeeper of the Year

FINALISTS — Matt Freese, New York City FC; Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC; Yohei Takaoka, Vancouver Whitecaps FC

ALEX: Stefan Frei, Seattle Sounders

CALUM: Kristijan Kahlina, Charlotte FC

FORREST: Stefan Frei, Seattle Sounders

KEN: Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United

RONAN: Roman Celentano, FC Cincinnati

Awards already decided

Golden Boot (Lionel Messi, 29 goals)

ALEX: Patrick Agyemang, Charlotte FC

CALUM: Kevin Denkey, FC Cincinnati

FORREST: Cristian “Chicho” Arango, San Jose

KEN: Messi

RONAN: Messi

U.S. Open Cup (Nashville SC)

ALEX: Seattle Sounders

CALUM: Minnesota United

FORREST: Charleston Battery

KEN: Orlando City

RONAN: Nashville SC

Leagues Cup (Seattle Sounders)

ALEX: Columbus Crew

CALUM: Club America

FORREST: Cruz Azul

KEN: FC Cincinnati

RONAN: FC Cincinnati

To be determined…

Finally, a reminder of our playoff predictions — and, did we mention this was eight months ago? Check back at the end of the season to see how we did.

Eastern Conference finalist

ALEX: Inter Miami

CALUM: Atlanta United

FORREST: Columbus Crew

KEN: Inter Miami

RONAN: FC Cincinnati

Western Conference finalist

ALEX: Seattle Sounders

CALUM: L.A. Galaxy

FORREST: LAFC

KEN: Seattle Sounders

RONAN: Seattle Sounders

MLS Cup champions

ALEX: Seattle Sounders

CALUM: L.A. Galaxy

FORREST: Columbus Crew

KEN: Inter Miami

RONAN: Seattle Sounders

Other individual awards

We didn’t predict winners of all the league’s individual awards. Here are those worthy players:

MLS Young Player of the Year

Given to the best young player during the 2025 MLS regular season. Eligible players must be born on or after Jan. 1, 2003

FINALISTS — Alex Freeman, Orlando City SC; Diego Luna, Real Salt Lake; Obed Vargas; Seattle Sounders FC

MLS Defender of the Year

Given to the best defender during the 2025 MLS regular season.

FINALISTS — Tristan Blackmon, Vancouver Whitecaps FC; Jakob Glesnes, Philadelphia Union; Kai Wagner, Philadelphia Union

MLS Comeback Player of the Year

Honors an MLS player who has overcome a severe injury and/or adversity, and as a result missed a significant portion of the 2024 season, and shown improved performance to achieve success during the 2025 MLS regular season.

FINALISTS — Lawrence Ennali, Houston Dynamo FC; Nick Hagglund, FC Cincinnati; Richie Laryea, Toronto FC

Goals Drive Progress Impact Award

Honors an MLS player who showed outstanding dedication to charitable efforts and serving the community during the 2025 season.

FINALISTS — Ryan Hollingshead, LAFC; Diego Luna, Real Salt Lake; Brad Stuver; Austin FC

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As the regular season concluded, Charlotte FC found themselves exactly where they wanted to be. Before the season, we expected Charlotte FC to compete for a top 4 place in the Eastern Conference, with an acceptable finish being somewhere between 3rd and 5th place. While Charlotte finished as hoped in 4th, securing home-field advantage in the first playoff series, it was a turbulent ride to get there. From sitting top of the conference in April, to falling out of the playoff spots completely in June and then rebounding with a 9 game win streak, the hopes and expectations of this team have drastically changed all season.

But through the ups and downs, CLTFC accomplished its mission of the regular season and now the focus is on getting 5 more wins to lift the MLS Cup. As CLTFC heads into the playoffs, there are two big questions that I see Charlotte needing to answer in order to have postseason success. While many other factors will play into these next matches, these are the two big things I will be watching to see if CLT can answer.

Question 1: Where will the goals come from?

Charlotte FC has built its identity on a strong defense and I expect Charlotte to defend well with high intensity. But to make a run in the playoffs they are going to need goals. Since Pep Biel has suffered a season ending injury during the leagues cup, CLTFC’s goals have only come from 2 main sources, transition attacks and through Zaha. Charlotte scored one of each type of these goals against Philadelphia to end the season. Let’s analyze these goals, how they are created, and then look at potential playmakers that could add another threat to the attack.

Transition Attacks

For transition attacks I am referring to when CLT is able to attack against a defense that is not set by playing in behind them. This can be from a turnover (such as the goal against NY Red Bulls) or can be from beating or by-passing a high press which I also refer to as transition-like attacks.

With the departure of Agyemang, most of our transition and transition like attacks go down our right side with Kerwin Vargas being involved. For the first goal against Philly, we start with a goal kick and the Union set up their high press.

The Union have pushed all 6 players into Charlotte’s defensive third with the plan to press against this goal kick. This is difficult to play out of but if successful, Charlotte will have a 4v4 against their defenders.

Kahlina plays out to Byrne who passes it back to Malanda. Malanda is barely able to get a pass off and clears it long with incoming pressure.

However this clearance winds up being an incredible pass over the top of the defense. In the clip above Vargas has dropped into our half and Union’s left back follows with him. This ball by Malanda goes over the top of both of them allowing Vargas to get behind their back line.

From here CLT has the advantage as Union only has 2 defenders back and they are retreating towards their goal. As the closest defender moves to close down Vargas, he plays it into the middle. The other defender shifts to mark Toklomati but that leaves the back post wide open for Zaha to run into and score.

These attacks have been a key to Charlotte’s defensive identity for both years under Dean Smith and can create great chances. The issue is these chances require the opponent to either press high or commit numbers forward. At some point in these playoffs, I expect Charlotte will be losing at some point and will need a goal. At those times, the other team will likely sit deep, not allowing us to get in behind and we will need a different way to create chances. Fortunately, that is part of why Zaha was signed.

When losing or against less possession heavy teams, these chances may not be available to get in behind the opponent’s defensive line. Basically, these chances are unlikely to be available when CLT needs a goal due to their trailing the game. At those points, CLT will need to rely on attacking in the final third against a set defense.

Set Attacks through Zaha

When in the attacking third against a set defense, Charlotte has mostly relied on Zaha to create chances and score goals. When Zaha receives the ball in the left half-space he poses multiple threats and helps create space to score goals.

The second goal against Philadelphia shows part of this threat. The ball starts with Diani on the left side as Diani, Zaha and Toffolo combine to form a triangle. Notice below how Zaha (yellow underline) starts out wide with Toffolo (pink underline) in the left half-space.

Toffolo makes a run wide but it is not open. The ball works back to Diani as Toffolo and Zaha switch spots. As the ball goes wide to Toffolo on the touchline we now see Zaha starting to work more centrally.

From here Toffolo plays into Zaha and makes a run down the line. Zaha draws in 3 defenders allowing him to play a one touch pass allowing Toffolo to get toward the end-line.

From here Toffolo can get in a cross and Union’s defensive marking is all wrong with their left back too far central on Toklomati. Toffolo finds Vargas on the back post with plenty of space and Vargas does well to take the chance.

While Zaha does not get a goal contribution. His pass to put Toffolo behind the defense is what creates this goal and turns a CLT possession into a dangerous attack.

Zaha this season has added a new dimension to this attack allowing us to score more consistently against an organized and set defense. However since Biel has been injured, Zaha has been the only avenue for CLT to create against a set defense. Since the League’s Cup, CLTFC have scored 12 goals of which 8 of them Zaha has gotten the goal, assist, or “hockey assist” (pass leading to the assist). The rest of them have been transition attacks or goals from set pieces. With Zaha set to miss game 1 of the playoffs due to red card suspension and with the expectation teams will game-plan to limit Zaha, I believe CLT will need another avenue to break down set defenses in the playoffs.

In search of a second playmaker

So this leads me to my first question. Other than Zaha, who can CLT rely on to create goal-scoring chances. This is not necessarily getting the goal or even assist, but being an avenue where they can receive the ball and create an attacking threat. I do not have the answer but I see 3 potential players:

1. Idan Toklomati: Toklomati has been great this season, especially since becoming the main striker. Toklomati’s off ball movement in the box has made our crosses and cutbacks more dangerous. His ability to drop in to link up play has helped us get the ball to Zaha and Biel in more dangerous positions. I think that Toklomati could provide a playmaking threat by dropping into the midfield, receiving the ball and turning to play forward either Vargas or maybe a run from Bronico in the midfield.

2. Ashley Westwood: Last season, Westwood had multiple assists as a deeper lying playmaker. Despite his position being further away from goal, Westwood has the ability to deliver excellent passes. If CLT can build up without Westwood having to drop into the backline, it could allow him to move forward and make more key passes in the final third.

3. Liel Abada: And finally, CLT’s other designated player has a chance to be a key contributor. In game 1 I expect him to play on the left replacing Zaha. While he does not pose the same dribbling and passing threat, hopefully he can take the freedom to drift centrally as a way to receive in dangerous positions and then combine with Toklomati to create chances. After game 1, Abada may get chances off the bench if CLT is losing. Again, in those situations he may have the freedom to drift centrally allowing him to create.

I am not sure who, if any, of these players can fill the playmaking gap left by Biel, but I do think CLT will need another attacking source other than solely relying on transitions and giving the ball to Zaha.

Question 2: What can Harry Toffolo do?

Despite signing on August 5th, Harry Toffolo only has played 2 matches for CLT this season. However, he appears healthy for the playoffs and may give CLT the left back they have been missing all season.

All season CLTFC have been lacking a complete left back to fit Dean Smith’s system. The list goes somewhat like this:

• It started with Tim Ream but he lacked the pace to defend against wingers and could not provide an attacking threat moving forward.

• Then it was Souleyman Doumbia who looked the part but he could not stay healthy.

• Then it was Jakheele Marshall-Rutty who helped unlock Zaha and our left side attack, but lacked the defensive ability to lock down that side.

• Lastly it was Nathan Bryne who did fine but he is much better on the right and he was limited in that role being right footed.

Essentially, Dean Smith has had to compromise on his left back all season. Ideally he wants his left full back to do the following:

• Be quick and skilled enough to keep up with attacking wingers.

• Be strong enough to defend against strikers in the box especially for back post crosses.

• Provide width on the left in buildup to allow Zaha to drift centrally.

• Make overlapping runs in attack to get crosses when Zaha pulls defenders centrally.

Based on his premier league experience, build, and limited tape in the MLS, I believe Toffolo can fill this criteria and, like Doumbia, be an ideal left full-back if he stays healthy. However, his limited minutes in this game shows glimpses that he may be able to do more than what is listed above and there is a chance Toffolo could be a key player in how he is used.

Inverting into the attack

While at the match, Toffolo caught my eye with how he was found in forward, central positions during out buildup. Twice in this match, Zaha would be wide in buildup and Toffolo would use that opportunity to move up and central.

This first time comes in the 8th minute, the ball swings over to Ream with Toffolo currently as the left back and Zaha wide near the far sideline.

But Toffolo starts with a jog then makes a run central and forward beyond the defense trying to give Ream an option to go over the top.

This is a type of run that CLT expects from Toklomati or Bronico, not our left back. And even after not getting the ball, Toffolo does not run back to his position but instead stays forward in an advanced central position. Look below at his position just 9 seconds later.

This movement forward and central looks planned as Toffolo also would use midfield rotations as a queue to move centrally. Just a few minutes later, CLT is back in buildup and Westwood drops into the defensive line.

Toffolo takes this chance to move forward but since Zaha is already out wide he drifts into that more central attacking space. In fact, as Ream gets the ball and steps forward, Toffolo is backpedaling and calling for the ball.

Nothing came of either of these movements but it shows Toffolo may be a key piece to helping Charlotte build up consistently and could open up new attacking avenues. On the flip side, Toffolo’s movements forward could leave Ream isolated if we have a turnover. I’m not sure what to expect yet but I am curious to see how Toffolo is used in the playoffs.

Conclusion

As CLT’s playoffs start today these are two big questions that I am curious to see. I do not expect Charlotte to win the MLS Cup but I do believe with the knockout nature that any team that makes the playoffs can win the whole thing. And Charlotte does have the talent and stars both offensively and defensively to compete and potentially beat any team. Regardless, I am excited to be at the bank for game 1!

Calum Ewing (Atlanta United Writer) -

Wild Card:

Chicago Fire defeats Orlando City

Portland Timbers defeat Real Salt Lake

Round One (Best of 3):

West -

San Diego FC defeats Portland Timbers (2 Games)

Seattle Sounders defeat Minnesota United (3 Games)

LAFC defeats Austin FC (2 Games)

Vancouver Whitecaps defeat FC Dallas (2 Games)

East -

Philadelphia Union defeats Chicago Fire (3 Games)

Charlotte FC defeats NYCFC (3 Games)

Columbus Crew defeats FC Cincinnati (3 Games)

Inter Miami defeats Nashville SC (3 Games)

Round Two:

West -

Seattle Sounders defeat San Diego FC

LAFC defeats Vancouver Whitecaps

East -

Philadelphia Union defeats Charlotte FC

Inter Miami defeats Columbus Crew

Conference Finals:

West -

LAFC defeats Seattle Sounders

East -

Philadelphia Union defeat Inter Miami

MLS Cup (2022 Rematch) -

LAFC defeats Philadelphia Union

Ronan Briscoe (Nashville SC) -

Wild Card Round

Eastern Conference: Orlando City defeats Chicago Fire

Western Conference: Portland Timbers defeat Real Salt Lake

First Round

Eastern Conference:

Philadelphia Union defeats Orlando City (2 games)

Charlotte FC defeats NYCFC (3 games)

FC Cincinnati defeats Columbus Crew (3 games)

Inter Miami defeats Nashville SC (3 games)

Western Conference:

San Diego FC defeats Portland Timbers (2 games)

Vancouver Whitecaps defeat FC Dallas (2 games)

Minnesota United defeats Seattle Sounders (3 games)

LAFC defeats Austin FC (2 games)

Conference Semifinals

Eastern Conference:

Inter Miami defeats FC Cincinnati

Philadelphia Union defeats Charlotte FC

Western Conference:

LAFC defeats Vancouver Whitecaps

Minnesota United defeats San Diego FC

Conference Finals

Eastern Conference:

Inter Miami defeats Philadelphia Union

Western Conference:

LAFC defeats Minnesota United

MLS Cup

LAFC defeats Inter Miami (imagine the cinema)

Ken Garner (Inter Miami) -

Wild Card Round

Eastern Conference: Orlando City defeats Chicago Fire

Western Conference: Real Salt Lake defeat Portland Timbers

First Round

Eastern Conference:

Philadelphia Union defeats Orlando City (2 games)

Charlotte FC defeats NYCFC (3 games)

FC Cincinnati defeats Columbus Crew (3 games)

Inter Miami defeats Nashville SC (3 games)

Western Conference:

San Diego FC defeats Real Salt Lake (3 games)

Vancouver Whitecaps defeat FC Dallas (2 games)

Seattle Sounders defeat Minnesota United (3 games)

LAFC defeats Austin FC (2 games)

Conference Semifinals

Eastern Conference:

Inter Miami defeats FC Cincinnati

Philadelphia Union defeats Charlotte FC

Western Conference:

LAFC defeats Vancouver Whitecaps

Seattle Sounders defeat San Diego FC

Conference Finals

Eastern Conference:

Inter Miami defeats Philadelphia Union

Western Conference:

Seattle Sounders defeat LAFC

MLS Cup

Inter Miami defeats Seattle Sounders

I’m looking forward to a high-profile rematch of the 2025 Leagues Cup final, a 4-0 Sounders’ beat-down of Messi & Co. My prognostication is faithful to my preseason prediction, but I’m less confident than I was in February. At their best, the Herons can beat anyone in MLS and be competitive against the region’s powerhouse clubs. At their worst, they can be embarrassed by middling sides like Chicago Fire. Likewise, Seattle has been less than dominant throughout the season but I expect Brian Schmetzer’s Rave Green to find another level for this tournament.

Alex McCaskey (Charlotte FC) -

Wild Card Round

Eastern Conference: Chicago Fire defeats Orlando City

Western Conference: Portland Timbers defeat Real Salt Lake

First Round

Eastern Conference:

Philadelphia Union defeats Chicago Fire (2 games)

Charlotte FC defeats NYCFC (3 games)

Inter Miami defeats Nashville SC (2 games)

Columbus Crew defeats FC Cincinnati (2 games)

Western Conference:

San Diego FC defeats Portland Timbers (3 games)

Seattle Sounders defeat Minnesota United (2 games)

LAFC defeats Austin FC (3 games)

Vancouver Whitecaps defeat FC Dallas (2 games)

Conference Semifinals

Eastern Conference:

Charlotte FC defeats Philadelphia Union

Inter Miami defeats Columbus Crew

Western Conference:

Vancouver Whitecaps defeat LAFC

Seattle Sounders defeat San Diego FC

Conference Finals

Eastern Conference: Charlotte FC defeats Inter Miami

Western Conference: Vancouver Whitecaps defeat Seattle Sounders

MLS Cup:

Vancouver Whitecaps defeat Charlotte FC

The magic can only last for so long. Charlotte FC struggles against a tough Vancouver side, and a lack of Pep Biel in the midfield allows Vancouver to shut down any creativity from Charlotte.

It was another draw for Atlanta United to close out the forgettable 2025 season as The Five Stripes and DC United split the points with a 1-1 stalemate in the Benz on Decision Day. The result lifts Atlanta just off the bottom of the table and clinches the Wooden Spoon for DC United for the 2025 campaign.

Miguel Almiron scored in the 3^rd minute and looked to have another before the half-hour mark only to be ruled offside. This was a welcome change of recent pace as Atlanta had started the game brightly, playing in an energetic, free-flowing attacking style to open this final match of the 2025 regular season.

But again, the familiar patterns of shaky play plagued the hosts as the visitors leveled the match in the second half. DC United scored their goal in the 66^th minute as Gabriel Pirani scored on the third time asking after a familiar lack of decisive Atlanta defending left a loose ball in front of the goal that the opponents have punished all season long.

Despite a furious Atlanta push during the final 15 minutes of play, the next goal would not be found and the match ended knotted 1-1 in Atlanta’s 13^th draw of the season.

The match will not be remembered for the result but rather for the crowd-favorite named “Guuuuuz” standing tall in all pink in the Atlanta goal.

Retiring club legend Brad Guzan played his final match between the pipes for Atlanta as pre-game awards, photo ops, fan chants, halo board messages, and post-match interviews all echoed the praises of an outstanding 21 years of professional soccer. Guzan made an immediate impact upon his arrival in Atlanta in 2017 and has been a stabilizing force in the Five Stripe’s line up during his service to the club. A major Achilles injury just a few seasons ago provided a major obstacle to overcome, however, Guzan returned to the No. 1 goalkeeper role for the club and provided pure MLS Playoff magic just a season ago helping knock Messi’s heavily favored Inter Miami out of the 2024 postseason.

Guzan seemed upbeat, humble, and thankful for his pro soccer journey, especially the chapters here in Atlanta, as he just soaked in the moment surrounded by family and friends as he played his final 90 minutes for the Five Stripes at the world-class standard his career has defined.

Guzan humbly summed up his love of the game on popular social media site X by saying, “I’m just a kid from Chicago who instantly knew this game was for me. Today, as I prepare to hang up my gloves, I know this journey was never just about me.”

Other retirement comments from Guzan focused on “we” and the future direction of Atlanta United. Clearly, there is a plan in place to keep Guzan in the Five Stripe’s family in his post-playing days, and Guzan hinted that he would get started on his next chapter of soccer in the near future. With the sacking of Head Coach Ronny Deila just hours after this final match, Atlanta United seems poised to make bold moves this offseason with some familiar personalities ready to return the club to the summit of MLS and beyond.

It should not be too long before Atlanta United retires their first player number and makes Brad Guzan the first member of the Five Stripe’s Hall of Fame and Stadium Ring of Honor.

“He’s Big, He’s Tall, He’s a Mother******* Wall…Brad Guzan.”

Today, Brad Guzan will play the last soccer game of his legendary career. The Big Bald Wall, the long-time captain, and the MLS Cup champion will start for Atlanta United once last time after 9 years with the club against DC United at 6:00pm EST.

Those 9 final years wrapped up a 21-year career that began with former MLS side Chivas USA in 2005. After being selected with the 2nd overall pick in the MLS SuperDraft, Guzan would start through 2008, leading the team to 3 straight playoff berths from 2006-2008. In 2007, Guzan was named MLS Goalkeeper of the Year.

That early success rewarded him with a move to Premier League side Aston Villa, with whom he immediately made a great impression. In the 2009 Peace Cup final, a preseason tournament, Guzan saved multiple penalties to win the game, most famously not falling for Alessandro Del Piero’s attempt down the middle.

That same year, Guzan would make 4 penalty saves, 3 in the shootout, against Sunderland in the EFL Cup while adding some incredible reaction saves to boot.

It took a couple more years, but in the 2012-2013 season, after resigning with Villa, Guzan became the undisputed starter and the club’s player of the season for his efforts in avoiding relegation. Below are just some of his extraordinary highlights from that season.

During this time, and for a long time after, Guzan was the USMNT’s undisputed #2 goalkeeper behind Tim Howard and was the #1 after the 2014 World Cup when his Villa form peaked and Howard took an international break. Guzan made 64 total appearances for the national team in his career, his first in 2006 when he was still at Chivas. He produced some absolutely incredible performances on the international stage, and I would recommend going to YouTube and watching great saves from his USMNT that we do not feature here, but we will feature the biggest impact moments.

The United States may have finished 4th in the 2015 Gold Cup, but to no fault of Guzan. He walked away with the tournament’s Golden Glove, consistently coming up in the clutch like in the Honduras game below (where he comes up big at the beginning and end).

Guzan started during the USMNT’s Copa America Centenario semi-final runs and in my opinion, his best national career saves came in this tournament. He made multiple saves in 1v1 situations with slim leads and most notably made a stunning double-save with less than 10 minutes to go for the US to defeat Panama.

Right before Guzan played his first Atlanta United match, he returned to play in group stage matches at the 2017 Gold Cup. Once again, he came up big against Panama.

Guz had a talent for performing exceptionally well against very specific teams (as seen with Panama), and after being released from the Gold Cup roster to play his first game for Atlanta United, this talent would reveal itself to fans in his first game against Orlando City SC.

This would mark a fantastic half-year for United’s new starting goalkeeper, who won MLS Save of the Year for a ridiculous stop on Bradley Wright-Phillips.

The next year would be even better, as Guzan would be named an MLS All-Star and make arguably the biggest save of his life, a diving effort to the right on the goal line that denied a Jeremy Ebobisse header and equalizer. Mr. Clean was clutch yet again, and this time, he had a trophy to lift up for his efforts.

2019 was even better with another All-Star appearance and absurd saves. Remember the juggling save on the goaline against Minnesota?

What about Guzan’s big saves to hoist the Open Cup and spite Minnesota again?

And what about when he pulled off one of the best saves of his career the same day Martinez got a record 15th straight game with a goal and the 2019 Goal of the Year?

In 2020, Guzan performed at the same level as his All-Star seasons, but was overlooked due to the drop-off in performance from the rest of the team. This matchup versus Orlando where he single-handily kept the team alive was the highlight of many that year.

After leading the club back to the playoffs in 2021, Guzan ruptured his Achilles and was out for most of the 2022 season. Many fans thought that would be the end of his career. Instead, Guzan came back, became the starter again, and showed the world he still was on the top of his game against LAFC with 9 astounding saves.

The year after, many fans worried that we were starting to see age, or the Achilles, catch up to Guzan, but a down-year rapidly became the best year yet. That started during the late Atlanta playoff push, where Guzan’s performance earned a point in Red Bull Arena.

Once Atlanta qualified for the play-in against CF Montreal, Guzan kept the game close and got a penalty save that made all the difference for advancement to face Inter Miami.

Now, do I need to say anything about Guzan’s 3-game shutdown of Lionel Messi and friends? Please, just watch, and relive the masterclass in goalkeeping and the biggest upset in MLS history. If anything lives forever to represent Brad Guzan’s legacy, it will be these 3 matches.

Finally, it’s fitting to end Guzan’s career showcase by continuing the theme of him dominating against specific clubs. Guzan went toe-to-toe with Miami again in his best 2025 performance.

Now, here we are at the end. It’s an end fans will accept, seeing that Jayden Hibbert shined as the potential goalkeeper of the future, but most fans still don’t want to think about the end too much.

Guzan has been playing for so long, he seems like he could keep playing forever, right? What happens when you take away the last player remaining from the 2017 inaugural team and one of the core pieces of your franchise? What happens when you have to say goodbye to an incredible role model with extreme talent that goalkeepers in Georgia and the United States have looked up to for so long?

Truly, we know there will be a void. We learned when we lost Parkhurst, Larentowicz, Martinez, and Nagbe; you can maybe replace a player’s talent, but you cannot replace the impact they made on and off the field.

Thank you, Brad Guzan, for your impact on our team and our lives. Enjoy a well-deserved retirement.

Inter Miami newcomer Mateo Silvetti has scored late goals for Argentina against Nigeria and Mexico in the FIFA U-20 World Cup; La Albiceleste will play Colombia in the semifinals Wednesday. CREDIT: FIFA

‘Knockout-stage assassin’

Mateo Silvetti is making a name for himself at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Chile, recording two goals and an assist in Argentina’s first five matches. An uncredited article at FIFA.com dubbed the young forward a “knockout-stage assassin” after he scored late goals against Nigeria in the round of 16 and Mexico in the quarterfinals.

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The 19-year-old attacking midfielder, Inter Miami’s most recent signing, hopes to continue his success when La Albiceleste plays Colombia at 6 p.m. CT Wednesday in the semifinals. Morocco and France play in the first semifinal at 3 p.m. The winners will compete for the Cup at 6 p.m. CT Sunday.

The semifinals and final will be broadcast by FS2.

Relatively unknown outside Argentina before this tournament, Silvetti has made the most of his opportunities. “Toto” has come off the bench in four of Argentina’s five matches, registering an assist in an 11-minute outing against Cuba, didn’t play against Australia but has earned increased minutes against Italy (19), Nigeria (27), and Mexico (45).

See highlights of Argentina’s 2-0 win against Mexico here.

Inter Miami CF manager Javier Mascherano worked with Silvetti when he coached Argentina’s U20 team; the Herons signed the youngster to a four-year contract in August.

“He’s a very serious young man, seems older than he is because of his maturity level,” Mascherano told Miami Herald soccer writer Michelle Kaufman at the time.

“He’s a young player I know…he’s very intelligent with promising capabilities,” he continued. “I think he will strengthen that position. He can play outside, inside, center forward. He adapts to different situations. He is similar to Tadeo Allende, but maybe with more 1-v-1 tendencies. Most of all, he has a very good head for the game and that is important.”

Silvetti is from Rosario, the hometown of new teammate Lionel Messi and former Herons coach Tata Martino and, like Messi and Martino, began his professional career at Newell’s Old Boys.

Expect Mascherano to give Silvetti every opportunity to break into Inter Miami’s starting lineup in the near — maybe very near — future.

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Inter Miami CF will present a tribute to left wing back Jordi Alba after tonight’s match against Atlanta United. Alba recently announced he will retire at the end of this season. CREDIT: Inter Miami CF

Herons still have work to do

Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, two of Inter Miami’s “Big Four,” have announced they’re hanging up their cleats after the season, fueling speculation about who might fill their extremely lucrative designated player spots next year.

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Meanwhile, the Herons have at least four more matches to play in 2025. First up: a makeup match tonight at home against Atlanta United. The match was rescheduled from June when Inter Miami unexpectedly advanced to the FIFA World Cup round of 16.

Los Garzas (17-7-8, 59 points) are in third place in Major League Soccer’s Eastern Division, behind Supporters’ Shield winner Philadelphia (66 points) and FC Cincinnati (65). Miami still could leapfrog Cincinnati into second place, guaranteeing home-field advantage through at least two rounds of the MLS Cup playoffs; Atlanta, meanwhile is winding down a disastrous season (27 points, 14th of 15 Eastern Conference teams) and would love nothing more than a win against the Herons before its season ends after “Decision Day” next Saturday.

Because the make-up game falls during an international break, both teams are missing several key players. The Five Stripes will be without Miguel Almirón (Paraguay), Luke Brennan (USA, U20 World Cup), Ronald Hernández (Venezuela), Enea Mihaj (Albania), Alexi Miranchuk (Russia), and Bartosz Slisz (Poland).

Miami players on international duty include Telasco Segovia (Venezuela), Noah Allen (Greece U21), and Mateo Silvetti (Argentina U20 World Cup), Rodrigo De Paul (Argentina) and Lionel Messi (Argentina). Fafa Picault was called up by Haiti, but received permission to stay with the Herons. Maxi Falcon will miss tonight’s match due to yellow-card accumulation.

Messi worked out with La Albiceleste all week, but didn’t participate in Argentina’s 1-0 win against Venezuela last night at Hard Rock Stadium; because Argentina trains in Fort Lauderdale and will play Puerto Rico at Chase Stadium on Tuesday, some pundits speculate that Messi could play for the Herons tonight and his national team three days later.

Messi, with 41 goal contributions (24 goals, 17 assists) seems likely to repeat as MLS Most Valuable Player, but he has a chance to win the league’s Golden Boot, presented to the player who scores the most goals in league play. Messi and LAFC’s Denis Bouanga are tied for the Golden Boot lead, but Bouanga is on international duty with Gabon and has just a single game left to play. Messi has tonight’s match against Atlanta and next week’s Decision Day clash at Nashville.

STARTING LINEUPS

INTER MIAMI — Rios Novo; Weigandt, Aviles, Lujan, Alba; Busquets, Bright; Allende, Messi, Rodriguez; Suarez.

ATLANTA UNITED — Hubert; Chong Qui, Gregersen, Berocal, Alfonso; Sanchez, Alcatel, Muyumba; Almador, Thiaré, Latte Lath.

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Inter Miami midfielder Sergio Busquets passes the ball as Carlos Gil of the New England Revolution moves to defend. CREDIT: Inter Miami CF

It isn’t easy being a supporter of Club Internacional de Fútbol Miami, but it’s rarely dull; the Herons’ Jekyll and Hyde performances in 2025 are a prime example.

With five matches left in the season, Miami seemed poised to overtake Philadelphia to claim its second straight Supporters’ Shield. The Herons had just dominated the in-form Pigeons of New York City FC, beating them 4-0 in New York. All they had to do was win out, and they’d lift the Shield and, more importantly, guarantee themselves home-field advantage throughout the MLS Cup playoffs.

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So, what happened? Los Garzas settled for a 1-1 draw in Toronto and a devastating 5-3 home loss to the Chicago Fire. The Reds failed to make the playoffs and the resurgent Fire barely slipped in, clinching a berth with that win in Miami. Neither team should challenge the Pink.

Dropping four points in two matches had fans expecting further disappointment down the stretch and another early playoff exit. But then, Saturday happened.

A flicker of promise

Suddenly the slumping Herons looked like the squad that beat European big boys Porto FC in this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup. OK, they played hapless New England, another one of six teams not making the nine-team Eastern Conference playoff bracket, but Miami played beautiful soccer in a 4-1 home win against the Revolution.

Jordi Alba and Tadeo Allende each scored twice, Lionel Messi had three assists, and every player turned in solid, energetic — joyous? — performances; it was the kind of team effort that makes me want to believe Inter Miami is a championship contender.

The Herons are third in the Eastern Conference with 59 points, behind only the Philadelphia Union (66 points), which clinched the Supporters’ Shield with a win Saturday against NYCFC, and FC Cincinnati (62).

Playoff scenarios

If Miami wins its final two matches, at home Saturday against Atlanta United (27 points) and at Nashville (sixth place, 54 points) on “Decision Day,” Oct. 18, it theoretically could nab second place. If Cincinnati wins its finale against Montreal (28) and the Herons win out, Cincy and Miami both would have 65 points and 19 wins, the first tiebreaker. The second tiebreaker is goal differential, and the high-scoring Herons are currently plus-19, 10 better than the Blue & Orange.

On the other hand, if Miami’s Hyde side reappears and the Herons fail to get a point from their final matches, two teams — Charlotte FC and the Pigeons from NYCFC — could theoretically jump Los Garzas in the standings.

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What does it all mean? Well, as of today, Inter Miami could finish anywhere from second to fifth, meaning their first round opponent could be any of the six teams currently below them in the standings: Charlotte, New York City FC, Nashville, Orlando, Chicago or Columbus.

If the playoffs started today, Miami would play Nashville in the best-of-three first-round series, with the deciding match played in South Florida, if necessary.

In the unlikely event the Herons end up in fifth place, they would have to play a best-of-three first round series without home-field advantage.

There’s only one trophy unclaimed; Las Rosanegra have failed to capture CONCACAF Champions Cup, the Club World Cup, the Leagues Cup, and the Supporters’ Shield. The MLS Cup is all that remains.

Who is Inter Miami right now? We’ll find out over the next few weeks.

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Inter Miami CF has invested heavily in recruiting and retaining players from Barcelona’s great teams of the 20-teens. From left, midfielder Sergio Busquets, defender Jordi Alba, coach (former Barcelona defender) Javier Mascherano, midfielder Lionel Messi, and striker Luis Suarez. CREDIT: Inter Miami CF

Inter Miami isn’t a great team. Tuesday, Los Garzas were awful. Playing the first of three straight home matches against teams they should beat, and still chasing the Supporters’ Shield and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, the Herons lost 3-5 to the Chicago Fire.

Watching that match, I couldn’t help wondering why the Herons could have so much talent and play so poorly. For a team of world-class performers, we see very few world-class team performances.

“Don’t believe the hype.”

— Public Enemy

Four Herons are World Cup winners: Lionel Messi and Rodrigo DePaul (Argentina 2022) and Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets (Spain 2012). Alba, Busquets, Messi, Luis Suarez and Miami coach Javier Mascherano all excelled with Barcelona in the 20-teens when Barça was arguably the best club team ever.

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On paper, Miami has the greatest collection of talent ever assembled by an MLS side; unfortunately for the Pink & Black, matches aren’t played on paper.

Club Internacional de Fútbol Miami is massively ambitious; it captured the soccer world’s attention in 2023 when it recruited first Messi, Busquets and Alba to South Florida with more than a little help from MLS and its corporate partners. Suarez came in 2024, and Mascherano and De Paul this year.

The experiment started well, with Messi leading the Herons to the inaugural Leagues Cup championship in 2023. They had a record-setting 2024, earning the Supporters’ Shield for posting the best-ever regular season point total (74).

But managing owner Jorge Mas predicted Miami and its Barça “Big Four” would reap multiple trophies each season; that hasn’t happened.

Some possible reasons why:

Unrealistic expectations

The Barça Boys made their reputations at Barcelona in the Twenty-aughts and Twenty-teens, when Les Blaugranas were winning four European championships. Messi was 18 when Barcelona won the first of those titles in 2006; he was 27 when it won the fourth, in 2015. More than a decade ago. It should be remembered that the “Big Four” rose to prominence alongside two of the best-ever midfielders, Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez.

Despite their generational talent, high intelligence and years of experience, it’s unrealistic to think they can recreate the magic of a decade or more ago.

Flawed roster construction

Where are the journeymen in Miami’s lineup? Stars dominate the headlines, but the reliable warriors still young and fit enough to compete physically but old and experienced enough to read the game and adapt to any situation. Fafà Picault fits that description, but he doesn’t see much of the pitch in Mascherano’s scheme. Julian Gressel and Robert Taylor were key contributors in 2024, but they were traded to free up salary space.

Since Chris Henderson left for Atlanta United, it’s been unclear who’s making personnel decisions or what the team’s plan is for the future. One rumor claims Messi’s father is calling the shots, and it is true that Messi has outsized influence on the front office — that happens when you’re the most recognizable, most marketable, most talented player ever to play the game. But do eight Balon d’Ors give the G.O.A.T. special insight into building a balanced, cohesive and talented roster?

Inexperienced coaching

Mascherano is 41 and a good friend and former teammate of several of his players. This is his first year coaching any club team after several years coaching in Argentina’s youth system (with mediocre results). It is widely accepted Messi got him the job.

But I think blaming Mascherano is a cop out; he’s made a lot of mistakes, but he has shown growth. I think he’s an intelligent, passionate coach, and he relates well to both the young Argentine players on the squad and his high-profile veterans. And, remember, the much-more-experienced and highly regarded Gerard “Tata” Martino managed to win just one tournament in a season and a half leading the Herons.

I want to see Mascherano get another season to apply what he’s learned.

Poor chemistry

Good attacks seem to flow, each player trusting the other to make the right run, to make the right pass, to know when to dummy or back-heel the ball without disrupting the play.

Miami doesn’t have that relationship; Messi, Alba and Suarez too often play like older brothers frustrated by having to play with younger, less talented, less experienced brothers. They TRY to get the kids involved and show their disappointment — or disgust — when the youngsters can’t make the play.

This is why journeymen are important in any locker room: more experience, better game instincts, fewer gaffes…. The journeymen are “glue” guys, buffers between the stars and youngsters.

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Exhaustion

This is probably a better explanation than any yet listed; the Herons have played 54 matches in 2025, thanks to runs in the CONCACAF Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup and Leagues Cup tournaments. That’s a lot of matches for any team, but especially for a team whose key players all are in their mid- to late-30s. Mascherano’s reluctance to sit his stars contributes to the problem. To win the MLS Cup, Miami will have to play at least nine more matches, totaling more than 60 contests in one season.

What next?

Not much can be done in the short time remaining this season, but moving forward I’d like the club to be more transparent about who’s making personnel decisions and what the team’s mid- and long-range plans are to realize its aspirations.

Busquets has announced his retirement, and I wouldn’t mind seeing Suarez follow suit. De Paul needs to be more impactful than he’s shown so far to justify inheriting Busi’s DP slot and salary, and I think he’ll be fine working with Yannick Bright in the defensive midfield. During the offseason, focus on reliable mid-level players to give the squad better balance.

Mascherano must learn to better rotate his squad to hopefully reduce injuries, keep legs fresh and game fit, and get all his players meaningful minutes so they have confidence — and their teammates have confidence in them — when the games matter most.

I’m sure I’m missing something obvious, but this rant has gone on long enough.

#UpThePink!

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The Cardiac Cats made another appearance this week in a competitive clash between Orlando City and a shield-chasing FC Cincinnati. Despite Orlando having already qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs due to a Red Bulls loss, the lions in purple are still fighting for the right to a home playoff game. On the other side of the coin, the lions in orange are still in the chase for another Supporter’s Shield amongst Philadelphia, San Diego, and Vancouver. Crucial points were on the line for both teams for this match, however, the spoils of victory would be given to neither.

The game began with both teams testing their opposition’s defensive plan. Early on, a Cincinnati chance forced Pedro Gallese into a cat-like kick save in the sixth minute. Not long after, Duncan McGuire would find himself directly in front of goal with just the Cincinnati keeper in front of him. However, the attacker failed to convert after a hasty toe poke simply put the ball wide of the posts. The first half would end with FCC enjoying most of the possession but with Orlando having the lion’s share of chances created.

The first goal wouldn’t come until late into the second half. After a period of dominance from Cincinnati’s attack, a perfectly placed pass from Evander found the feet of Kevin Denkey who took a one time shot into the bottom left corner of the Orlando goal. This marks Denkey’s 14th goal on the season and Evander’s 13th assist; the later player still in contention for the MLS MVP.

If you’ve watched Orlando City for any amount of time, you would know that the team is at their most unpredictable in the final minutes of any game. This story would play out again. And in a very similar story to Orlando’s previous game, it would be Tyrese Spicer charging down the wing, a quick spin to throw off his defender, and a perfectly floated cross that would find Alex Freeman at the back post. Freeman would bury this chance into the back of the net to rescue a very important point for Orlando.

Orlando City SC will now return home to play the other team from the Buckeye State, Columbus Crew. Orlando still have a game in hand against most of their Eastern Conference rivals and are still in the fight for a home playoff match. Cincinnati, however, may be upset to drop points at home and may begin feeling the Shield escaping their grasps.

Inter Miami CF newcomer Mateo Silvetti, a forward, is playing for Argentina at the FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile. CREDIT: Inter Miami CF

Mateo Silvetti entered Argentina’s U20 World Cup match against Cuba in the 79th minute Sunday; 11 minutes later, the recent Inter Miami signing assisted Ian Subiabre on La Albiceleste’s third goal in a 3-1 Argentina win.

The 19-year-old’s production is encouraging for Herons’ fans — like me — who want to see more from the youngster for Los Garzas.

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One of Inter Miami’s unresolved challenges from the past season is finding a reliable substitute for striker Luis Suarez, 38. The Uruguayan icon has been more productive than we could have hoped, given his age and creaky knees; he has 41 goals and 29 assists — 70 goal contributions — in 79 appearances for the Pink & Black. But Suarez’ contract ends Dec. 31 and, considering his age and his churlish behavior (biting opponents, spitting on security officials, allegedly using racial slurs, and ceaseless whining on the pitch), El Pistolero may not be asked back.

Silvetti’s, on the other hand, is signed through 2028. Even if Suarez plays another year (or two) in South Florida, Silvetti seems the frontrunner to replace him in the Herons’ attack. Because, frankly, there isn’t anyone else.

In March, Miami acquired Ecuadorian striker Allen Obando, another 19-year-old, on loan from Barcelona (not Suarez’ old team, a club in the Ecuadorian Premier League). Obando was expected to be Suarez’ understudy, but he’s been sidelined by a series of minor injuries and tallied a single goal in just six appearances.

The Argentina U20 side meets Australia on Wednesday and Italy on Saturday in the FIFA U20 World Cup group stage. Both matches kick off at 6 p.m. CT at Estadio Elías Figueroa Brander in Valparaiso, Chile. Supporters can watch the matches on Fox Sports, Telemundo, NBC Universo, and on the Argentina national team’s social media platforms.

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