An underwhelming weekend loss to Charlotte FC highlighted flaws, raising questions about Miami's 2025 silverware credentials
And with one poorly hit shot, everything went wrong. Lionel Messi broke out a panenka from the penalty spot against Charlotte FC Saturday night. And instead of sending the goalkeeper fumbling the wrong way, it fell feebly into his arms. It was rough to see – and not only because failed panenkas might be the saddest sight in soccer.
It was also a bit of a microcosm of Miami's performance against Charlotte: limp. The Herons didn't offer much at all going forward, and were well beaten on three occasions. Charlotte won 3-0, and no one could say the scoreline didn't accurately reflect the caliber of the two sides on the pitch.
More broadly, it showed just about where Miami are right now. This is a struggling side, far off the MLS Cup favorites that a fair few had pegged them for at the start of the season. It was Miami's second straight 3-0 loss, following their blanking by the Seattle Sounders in the Leagues Cup final – the Herons face Seattle again Tuesday in MLS, this time at home.
Yet when there is Messi, there is hope. But how can it be fixed outside of the Argentine? Is manager Javier Mascherano – or his tactical approach – the problem?
GOAL US writers assess struggling Miami in the latest edition of… The Rondo.
Getty Images SportWhat's the key takeaway from the loss to Charlotte?
Tom Hindle: Well, the scoreline wasn't exactly a barnstormer. It looked like many Miami performances over the last couple of years: they have a lot of the ball, Messi does some fun things. But they're so vulnerable on the break. If Messi buries that penalty, then maybe things look a bit different – vibes and momentum are frightfully important in this game. So, is it bad? Sure, in the sense that they lost heavily to an Eastern Conference rival. But it was entirely predictable.
Alejandro Orellana: In football, there are different types of defeats, but Miami's loss to Charlotte highlights a big gap between the teams that are championship contenders and those that are not. The 3-0 defeat, added to the final loss in the Leagues Cup, paints a clear picture of the teams that will be fighting for MLS Cup – and right now, it's hard to see Mascherano’s team in that race. During the transfer window, Miami failed to cover up its weaknesses, despite the signing of Rodrigo de Paul. On the other hand, Dean Smith’s team secured their ninth consecutive win and appeared a stronger, better-coached side that doesn't rely on just one player – unlike Miami with Messi.
Alex Labidou: There’s no shame in losing to Charlotte, a team that has tied the all-time record win streak in MLS. Rather, it is the way that it happened, and the timing. Inter Miami were coming off the Leagues Cup final and had 14 days to prepare. Outside of an inspired opening 20-30 minutes, Miami were easily outdone by the counterattack – an issue that has plagued them since last season. In soccer, a forfeit is considered a 3-0 defeat. Based on what was shown Saturday, maybe Miami should’ve considered that.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportWhat is Miami's most glaring weakness?
TH: The same it has been for 18 months: there's no defensive structure in this team. They're too old to press high convincingly, and don't have the legs on the break to drop deep, either. The logical solution is to piece together a truly balanced system, and that hasn't worked out for 90 minutes. You can't really highlight individuals as much as a collective here.
AO: Miami has many weaknesses across all positions, and the team seems to depend entirely on Messi’s form. If Messi comes out on fire, the show is guaranteed. But if the Argentine star is contained or just not having a good day – as happened on Saturday and in the Leagues Cup final – Miami look like a broken machine. The spine of the team is made up of veterans: Messi, De Paul, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and Luis Suárez. Those are intimidating names- no one would want to face them. But the reality is that they are players in the twilight of their careers and no longer able to consistently compete with the emerging MLS talent.
AL: Miami’s biggest weaknesses are poor roster construction and tactical inflexibility. Outside of the second half of the Leagues Cup final, Mascherano has largely relied on a 4-4-2, playing Messi as a second striker. De Paul, one of the world’s best box-to-box midfielders, has been largely miscast in a wide midfielder role. You’re paying this man a lot of money to play a role he’s largely unfamiliar with and is taking him away from what he does best in the center of the pitch. Mascherano clearly doesn’t trust Fafa Picault to start games – or play much at all – and the team doesn’t have options like last season when it could rely on Robert Taylor or Julian Gressel to occasionally step up. All of that is concerning when Miami’s top two attacking options are 38 years old.
Getty Images SportDoes Miami's form cloud Messi's future?
TH: Yes? No? Maybe? All of the noise from the man himself suggests that he will still be wearing Miami pink at a brand new stadium next season. But the few months after the campaign will be interesting. Everyone's favorite rumor is a little Barca loan, but that'll be hard – if not impossible. In an ideal world he gets to rest up, perform next season, and play at the World Cup for Argentina.
AO: Messi’s future will never be in doubt. He’s the greatest player of all time, and he’ll stop when he decides to stop. Until that happens, nothing will change. Whatever fuel he has left in the tank – a lot or a little – is a type of fuel every team in the world would love to have. When it comes to Inter Miami, he remains the most invaluable player on the roster.
AL: He hasn’t signed an extension, and he already hinted he might not play in the 2026 World Cup. Considering a lot of Messi’s reported motivation for playing was getting ready to help Argentina defend their status as world champions, there should be alarm bells ringing in South Beach. He's mentioned that injuries could be a factor, and he has not looked the same since suffering an knock at the start of the Leagues Cup. Injury-related or not, he doesn’t have the same explosiveness that he showed at the start of the season. It appears increasingly likely that Messi will consider retirement following this season.
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GettyAre Miami legitimate MLS Cup contenders?
TH: There are probably four or five better in front of them, but how many of them have Messi? Cincinnati seem to be the team to beat in the East, and you'd back San Diego, Vancouver and Seattle in the West. The funny thing is, no matter how much they struggle, the Messi effect simply cannot be ignored.
AO: Don’t see them winning the trophy, but as long as you have Messi, you can never fully count them out. The real problem is Mascherano, who has shown time and again that the job is too big for him. The “Messi and Friends” group needs to move on, because Mascherano isn’t going to lead them to a championship. At times, the Herons have looked solid, but in other moments, the team has fallen apart. The manager doesn’t seem to have what it takes to win a title.
AL: That might be Miami's goal, but there are at least six teams that are better equipped to win the title: LAFC, Seattle, FC Cincinnati, Minnesota, Vancouver and Charlotte. And that’s not even including conference-leading Philadelphia, who have shown some inconsistencies, and San Diego, which is trying to win it all in their first season. The age and lack of depth of this Miami team, tied with their tactical issues, mean they likely won’t be lifting the Cup this season. As NFL coach Bill Parcells once said, you are what your record says you are – and right now Miami are eighth in the East.