Inside Inter Miami: Messi sparks comeback; another MLS draw; long travel week ahead
Inter Miami promotional material called it 'The Comeback.'
The team then backed it up, rallying for a dramatic 3-1 victory over LAFC in the Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals last Wednesday, which helped the club advance on aggregate score, 3-2.
Lionel Messi scored twice to lead the effort, which moved Inter Miami into the semifinals and into another two-game set April 24 and 30 against the Western Conference-leading Vancouver Whitecaps.
But…the team didn't look nearly as sharp four days later during its game at Chicago, in which Messi, Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets all started with Jordi Alba entering off the bench.
The result was a scoreless draw, and the second consecutive draw in league play for Miami, which meant it has now slipped to fourth place in the East.
We have reactions from goalkeeper Oscar Ustari and coach Javier Mascherano following those games.
Hosts Michelle Kaufman and Andre Fernandez discuss these two results and the big picture of where the team stands as they prepare to take on the leaders of each MLS Conference over the next week and a half.
Because, oh yeah, Inter Miami also has a trip this Saturday to face Eastern Conference-leading Columbus in Cleveland before an expected crowd of 67,000.
This before the trip to Vancouver on April 24 against a team that's off to its best start in club history at 6-1-1 with one of MLS' top scorers in Brian White, who is coming off a four-goal game. The Whitecaps have scored a league-high 17 goals in league play and 26 across all competitions.
▪ Also, why were Julian Gressel and Robert Taylor left off the game roster for the Chicago trip?
▪ And Messi recently bought four units in an 80-story downtown Miami condo due to open in 2028. It looks like he's here for the long haul. We discuss.
▪ Remember, you can watch this show on YouTube and on our site at miamiherald.com. The podcast is available on Spotify, Apple podcasts, and most other platforms where you listen to your pods. Thank you for watching and listening, and enjoy!
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