Messi and Inter Miami are entering the last month of their Soccer season
With only one month left in the MLS season Inter Miami faces an unexpected challenge. The club and their fans are filled with angst. This was all due to the substitution of Lionel Messi 37 minutes into their match against Toronto FC due to physical pain. The last time the Argentinian was substituted before halftime was in 2018. This has raised many concerns for Inter Miami as they are pushing to qualify for the playoffs as well as having the U.S. Open Cup final on 27th September.
Despite Leo’s injury, Inter Miami won the match 4-0, an impressive result. Jordi Alba, a teammate of Messi’s from Barcelona as well as in Miami, similarly got injured in this game. It was a bittersweet match for the MLS side.
Messi has not made any comments on his condition. Inter Miami’s manager Gerrardo ‘Tata’ Martino has made it clear however, claiming that Messi will not be able to play against Orlando City on 25th September. Tata has claimed that the club does not believe him to have a muscular injury but rather the injury is a consequence of bodily fatigue. Tata believes that by resting Messi for the game against Orlando City, he will be able to play in the U.S. Open Cup final.
🚨 Fans are very concerned for Lionel Messi after bench footage emerges pic.twitter.com/WxqwMGH8H0
— SPORTbible (@sportbible) September 21, 2023
Fighting for trophies and qualification
Inter Miami are in a precarious position now. They are currently in 13th place in the Eastern Conference, failing to be in a position to qualify for the playoffs. The top seven teams from both the Western and Eastern Conference automatically qualify for the playoffs. The teams that come 8th and 9th compete in the wild-card round to qualify. Thus In total, eight teams from each conference participate in the MLS Cup Playoffs. Inter Miami are striving to earn a place in the playoffs and there is definitely a possibility of them achieving this goal. They still have six games to play before the end of the season and are not far off a qualification spot. The only cause for concern is that they may be lacking one key ingredient to their success, Lionel Messi. However, most experts believe that he should be back on the field soon.
The U.S Open Cup is arguably of higher prevalence to Inter Miami right now though as they are playing in on 27th September against Houston Dynamo. The club are likely praying that Messi will be back for this game, to help bring a trophy to sunny Miami.
Messi will return soon
Lionel’s impact at Inter Miami has been monumental so far. In just 12 games he has scored 11 goals and made 5 assists. He is arguably the best football player in the world and is proving that wherever he goes, success follows. His impressive stats at the club are by no means an anomaly. When examining his all-time record, Messi has had 1041 appearances, scored 819 goals, and has 361 assists. An insane record.
The absence of Messi from the squad could have detrimental effects on the team’s performance and their progression throughout the respective competitions. This is not to say it is implausible for Inter Miami to succeed without Leo. Ultimately, even without Messi, they still have a chance. It is also unlikely that Messi will be out of action for long and with some rest, he should be back to helping Inter Miami succeed. With a break from their next league game and if Tata is speaking truthfully, Messi should be back imminently, back to propelling Inter Miami CF to greatness.
