A month ago, Inter Miami CF was in last place with little chance of being regarded as one of the elite teams in Major League Soccer. How quickly times have changed with the arrival of Lionel Messi.
The Herons will seek the franchise’s first-ever title on Saturday night when it meets Nashville Soccer Club in the Leagues Cup Final. The game is set for 9 p.m. at GEODIS Park.
Messi, who has won just about everything during his brilliant career, said winning the franchise’s first championship of any kind after being founded in 2020 would be “awesome” for everyone involved.
“It would be incredible for me, for the fans, for the club itself,” Messi said in Spanish during a recent press conference. “The club is trying to grow. They’re investing a lot and making major changes. They’re putting together a team that can be respected and winning titles helps a lot.”
Lionel Messi’s impact on Inter Miami
Inter Miami has looked invincible since Messi’s arrival last month. Over the last six games, the Argentine soccer legend has lived up to all the hype by scoring 9 goals and 4 assists. He often looks like a man amongst boys. His brilliance has been contagious to an Inter Miami team that is playing with confidence.
“We’re in good form with a lot of momentum,” said defender DeAndre Yedlin, who passed captain duties to Messi. “But that means nothing until you step on the field. We’re ready. We know we’re going to have a difficult game tomorrow. They’re in great form as well. So we’re really excited.”
Nashville reached the final with a 2-0 win over CF Monterrey in the semifinal, a game that eliminated the last Liga MX club in the inaugural tournament. Inter Miami advanced with a 4-1 romp of Philadelphia Union. Nashville and Inter Miami joined the MLS as expansion clubs in 2020 and both clubs are seeking their first trophy. The Leagues Cup winner earns a bye into the Round of 16 of the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup. The loser will begin in Round One.
Messi isn’t the only one starring for Inter Miami. Goalkeeper Drake Callender had a seven-save night against Liga MX’s Cruz Azul in the tournament opener and has been solid throughout this stretch. Robert Taylor has flourished playing with Messi, collecting 4 goals and 5 assists since his arrival.
Often when a superstar joins a team, the reception can be frosty. But this is not the case with Messi. “He talks to everybody,” Yedlin said. “He could have come in and said ‘I’m doing stuff my way and that’s how it’s going to be.’ But he’s come in and mixed in with the group like a regular player. I had a ridiculous amount of respect for him as a player, but now playing with him I have more respect for him as a human being. He’s a wonderful human being.”
‘No one in our locker room that is scared to play’
Nashville isn’t going to bow down to the GOAT. It will be at home coming off a solid win over highly respected Monterrey, Nashville’s fourth straight win in this inaugural tournament.
“There’s no one in our locker room that is scared to play this Miami Team,” Nashville midfielder Dax McCarty said. “The respective level for what they’ve been able to accomplish with the players they brought, especially, Messi, we have to respect that. But this is the reason you play the games to build up character to get you to the moment like this.”
Yedlin said he expects the game to be hard-fought. “We obviously know the type of team Nashville is,” he said. “They’re going to give us a physical game. That’s their biggest strength. At the end of the day, they always give us a great game. It’s always difficult. You always have to be on your toes defensively.”
Inter Miami has made a complete identity change since Messi’s arrival, a process that continues into its first chance at a championship. “From the first of this competition, we knew that we had to start from scratch with a new coach and new players that had joined the team,” Messi said. “From Day 1 we’re doing very well, attending to the team needs. It was an opportunity to change things and how the team was in the league. We knew it was a beautiful opportunity to change that and set tough objectives.”
The toughest objective so far comes Saturday night.
George Willis is a columnist for Sportsnaut. Follow him on Twitter.