Can Inter Miami win a second straight Supporters’ Shield?
A big playoffs-clinching win Wednesday at New York City has fans feeling better about the Herons. Suddenly, it doesn’t seem preposterous to think Miami could lift hardware, plural, in 2025.
Lionel Messi scored twice and assisted on a third goal Wednesday in Inter Miami CF’s 4-0 win at New York City FC. CREDIT: Major League Soccer
Playoff spot? Check. Supporters’ Shield repeat? Within reach. The frustratingly inconsistent South Florida super side has regained its momentum with five league matches remaining.
Inter Miami played perhaps its most complete game of the year Wednesday, beating New York City FC 4-0 at Citi Field, home of the New York Mets baseball club. The win moved the Herons (16-6-7, 55 points) into third place in Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference, just five points behind conference- and league-leading Philadelphia. Los Garzas will try to build on that performance today at Toronto FC (5-13-12, 27).
After today’s match against the Reds, the Pink & Black have home matches against Chicago (45 points), New England (32), and Atlanta (27) before a tough Decision Day test in Nashville (50). It’s a manageable schedule; the Herons could, probably should, win their final five matches to end the regular season with 70 points. The only team that might match them is Vancouver (which holds the tiebreaker advantage over Miami).
Will the Herons earn all 15 points? I’m not expecting it; Miami has been too inconsistent, especially against lesser competition. Eleven is more realistic, which may or may not be enough to lift the 2025 Supporters’ Shield.
Some thoughts on this match day:
Lionel Messi should repeat as the MLS Most Valuable Ppayer. With a brace and an assist against New York City, he now has 37 goal contributions (24 goals, which tops the league, and 13 assists) in just 23 matches. His nearest challengers — San Diego’s Anders Dreyer (33 contributions on 15 goals and 18 assists), Orlando’s Martin Ojeda (30; 16g & 14a), LAFC’s Dennis Bouanga (30; 22g & 8a) and FC Cincinnati’s Evander (30, 17g & 13a) — all are having wonderful seasons, but comes close to Messi’s production rate or impact for his team.
Baltasar Rodriguez and Mateo Silvetti are the real deal. Neither looked out of place Wednesday starting with Messi and Luis Suarez in Miami’s attack. Both fit well into the short-passing, give-and-go attacking style favored by coach Javier Mascherano. The young Argentinians deserve an opportunity to earn regular minutes; I can imagine a future in which Rodriguez and Silvetti are the Herons’ regular left center forward and striker, respectively.
Congratulations to Sergio Busquets, who has announced that he’ll retire from professional soccer after this season. Inter Miami can’t replace the iconic defensive midfielder who starred with Barcelona and Spain before moving to South Florida to play with former teammates Messi, Jordi Alba and Luis Suarez. Busi, 37, can’t defend like he once did, but his experience, intelligence and leadership have been invaluable to the Herons. By hanging up his cleats, Busquets clears the way for a defensive midfield of Yannick Bright and Rodrigo De Paul, which could anchor Los Garzas’ lineup for the next half dozen or so years.
That’s it for today. Working two jobs in addition to writing about soccer makes it difficult to maintain a regular schedule, but I hope to be posting more often. If you like my takes on Inter Miami CF and MLS, please support my work by subscribing; it’s free!
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