Can Inter Miami win their first-ever MLS Cup?
Inter Miami kicked off the 2025 season on Wednesday, facing off against Sporting Kansas City in the first leg of the opening round of the Concacaf Champions Cup. Lionel Messi opened the scoring within 56 minutes to secure a 1-0 victory on a chilly night in Kansas City. It was Miami’s first official match in 109 days when they exited the MLS Cup playoffs at the first time of asking against Atlanta United.
“Inter Miami choked,” stated ex-USMNT international and Apple TV commentator Taylor Twellman. “We can talk about formula and everything, but the fact is, you cannot lose two out of three games to a team that finished 34 points behind you.”
Is The Messi Factor Enough?
Boasting a star-studded cast featuring Messi as well as other legendary footballers like Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and Luis Suárez, many expected it to be a cakewalk for Miami. They would have expected this individual prowess to be more than enough to carry them over the line and lead them to a first-ever MLS Cup title. Instead, they didn’t even reach the final eight. For all of Miami’s world-class figures, they proved to be fairly vulnerable in terms of defending, winning physical battles, and keeping themselves compact and organized against counter-attacking units. Miami kept just one clean sheet in their final 11 matches, conceding 2+ goals on five occasions during that same time span. Once the opposition bypassed the initial press, they could find plenty of joy in terms of exploiting Miami’s backline given the fact that Messi and Suárez—both of them approaching 40 years of age—were unlikely to track back and help their team out of possession.
“[Miami] could not defend in transition,” added Twellman. “This is a league built on athleticism that’s played at a high pace and played in transition more often than not… You knew that if they didn’t have possession, they were going to struggle. They didn’t have a great understanding of defence, and I think that falls on manager Tata Martino. It certainly wasn’t a personnel issue: 10 years from now, we’re going to be talking about them in the top 2-3 rosters ever in the history of MLS.”
Changes to the team could make the difference:
Since that heartbreaking defeat, Miami has made plenty of changes to their squad. Martino has been replaced by Javier Mascherano, who played alongside Messi, Alba, Busquets and Suárez at Barcelona. Mascherano’s sole coaching experience has come with the Argentina youth teams, with the Albiceleste losing 1-0 to France in the quarterfinal of last summer’s Olympic Games. Since taking charge, his Miami side has drawn with Mexican side América and Peruvian side Universitario (winning both on penalties) and beaten Panamanian side San Miguelito and Honduran side Olimpia. For their fifth and final match of preseason, Miami faced off against Orlando City on February 14. Martín Ojeda broke the deadlock after a quarter-hour, only for Suárez to tie up winter signing Tadeo Allende with the equaliser. Ojeda would find Ramiro Enrique for another go-ahead goal, but just when Orlando looked headed for the victory, new arrival and MLS veteran Fafà Picault levelled the scoring at the final second.
Apart from Picault and Allende, Miami has also brought in Venezuelan midfielder Telasco Segovia from Portuguese outfit Casa Pia, while they’ve also reinforced their backline with the signings of Uruguayan centre back Maximiliano Falcón from Chilean giants Colo-Colo as well as Argentine right back Gonzalo Luján from Argentine side San Lorenzo. Last but not least, they’ve also acquired Argentine goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo on loan from Argentine outfit Lanús.
Diego Gomez departure will hurt Miami:
In terms of outgoings, Miami has shaken up their squad by dispatching Rojas and Facundo Farías back to Argentina, while other backup players like Leandro Campana, CJ Dos Santos, Emerson Rodríguez, Franco Negri and Lawson Sunderland have also left. However, perhaps the biggest departure was none other than Diego Gómez.
“Diego has something which is fundamental—mental focus,” stated ex-Paraguay international Diego Gavilán. “He’s had an impressive growth at a professional level, establishing a place in an Inter Miami team alongside Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba. He is a very serious player who has the physical ability to play in 3-4 positions, but it doesn’t matter where you put him, he can find the back of the net. He’s played as an inside midfielder with the national team as well as a right-sided midfielder, a left-sided midfielder and even as a false 9 and a second striker.”
Gómez left his native Paraguay in July 2023, swapping Libertad for Miami for a reported €2.7 million. Following a shaky start to life in MLS, Gómez emerged as a vital cog in Miami’s team, capable of filling into multiple roles, making lung-busting runs from one box to the other, and winning the ball back high up the pitch. Gómez would gradually become one of the first names on the team sheet for not just Miami, but Paraguay as well. The 21-year-old midfielder would end up scoring 7 goals in 7 assists in 40 appearances for the Herons, proving instrumental in Miami’s record-breaking 2024 campaign. And after 18 months in South Florida, he took his talents across the Atlantic Ocean and joined Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion for £14 million.
“While he’s a quiet guy, he’s very lively on the pitch,” added Gavilán. “He has matured, grown, and still maintains a high level of football. He can adapt to whatever position, but if they play him as an interior, he can end up surprising many of us. He has the ability, quality, and mental strength to quickly adapt to the Premier League.”
Gómez aside, Inter Miami have retained the vast majority of their record-breaking 2024 team as they look to claim the ultimate prize – the MLS Cup trophy. And on Saturday, they will be looking to kick off their season on the right note as they face New York City FC in the league opener.
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