Lionel Messi’s message was one of defiance. The Inter Miami forward took to social media to address Inter Miami’s 2-1 series loss to Atlanta United in the first round of MLS playoffs – the biggest upset in the history of Major League Soccer’s postseason – and said all of the right things. He referenced the growth of the club, the accomplishments during the regular season, the support of the fans.
But he also pledged to return stronger. It was all a bit cliche, but Miami, we are led to believe, will be back.
And good for them. They need to be. For the sake of MLS – if nothing else – Messi’s message was a good thing. Still, zoom out, and this loss to a team that barely edged its way into the playoffs via a wildcard, was symptomatic of a wider problem in South Beach.
Even though he missed significant time with an ankle injury, Messi still did his bit in the regular season, as did the stars around him, leading Miami to the Supporters’ Shield with a record 74 points. But so much of this side went into brand building, the acquisition of big names, and the hiring of a marquee coach.
Someone, somewhere didn’t say enough about how a roster should be pieced together for playoff success. Miami, the brand, will be fine. Messi, the GOAT, will certainly be fine. MLS, with hope that the league is actually bigger than one player or one team, will also be fine.
But Miami, the team, have some serious retooling to do if they want to exceed this performance next year.