If the madness for the arrival of Lionel Messi to the Major League Soccer was tremendous, his first full season in the highest circuit of American football promises to generate equal or greater noise, especially after the Argentine showed that the Inter Miami It can be up to great things.
Shortly after the arrival of the “Pulga” to the pink institution, the team managed to win the Leagues Cup title, the first title the team has obtained since its foundation. Although the magic was not enough for the boys from South Florida to make any real impact in the local league, expectations are high heading into this newly inaugurated championship.
It is not only about the return of Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, but also the addition of Luis Suarez.
Those led by Gerardo “Tata” Martino, who opened their season this past Wednesday with a 2-0 victory against Real Salt Lake, will once again be under the guidance of a Messi who won his eighth Ballon d’Or a few months ago. On this occasion, the objective of the “10” is clear: avoid a slow start like the one Inter Miami had before his arrival last year and improve the chances that the club can reach the playoffs.
On paper, improving from a 9-18-7 record, which placed Miami in 14th place in the Eastern Conference in 2023, doesn’t seem like such a complex task.
But reaching the territory desired by Messi and company will be a test by fire, especially with the obstacle represented by other institutions that were also reinforced in a formidable way before the start of this tournament, including the Columbus Crew, defending champion of the MLS.
In any case, Miami is confident that Suárez, its star reinforcement, will make enough impact to catapult the team. The Uruguayan has been dealing with knee problems in recent times, but still managed to score 27 goals for Brazilian side Gremio in the previous campaign.
With Messi, Suárez, Busquets, Alba and an entire squad hungry for more, Miami knows that the task will not be easy, but that in the eyes of the entire world, failure is no longer an option.
