Without Messi, Miami's postseason chances are in jeopardy
Nearly all the news about Inter Miami has been good since Lionel Messi joined the team during Major League Soccer's summer break.
The once-embattled team went on a tear with Messi, scoring 33 goals in 12 games — and rose from the bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference to become a challenger for the postseason.
Miami entered its weekend clash against Atlanta United needing a minimum of five wins and one draw from its remaining eight games to qualify for the playoffs. It wound up losing, 5-2, leaving Miami with very little wiggle room to make the playoffs from its seven remaining games in MLS.
In a bid to keep his star player fit, Miami coach Tata Martino rested Messi against Atlanta. He also rested Spanish international Jordi Alba, one of the unsung heroes of Miami's late-season renaissance.
"Both have muscular fatigue," Martino said before the match. "There was a risk of having worse consequences if they had played this game."
The reason for the loss, however, wasn't solely due to Messi's absence. If anything, Messi's presence has papered over the problems that existed since the start of the season: defensive frailty and a lack of effective in-the-box blocking.
Just watch Atlanta's Giorgos Giakoumakis slice through Miami to score his team's fourth goal. He was played onside by an unwitting Miami defender and left completely unmarked in the center of the box.
Messi hasn't solved Miami's defensive frailty, but he has scored so often that the issue was overlooked by most. Now, Miami seemingly has two choices: start Messi, risking his fitness, or find a defensive solution for its leaky back line, which seems unlikely so late in the season.
Miami will play again Wednesday against last-place Toronto FC. From there, it's on to a tricky all-Florida clash with high-flying Orlando City. Lose either of those and Miami's playoff run may be unsalvageable.
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