Even the linesman was tired by the end. The man on the far side of the pitch had been running up and down the touchline all match, just trying to keep up with a Miami defense constantly in retreat. He hadn't put a foot wrong. In the 76th minute, an intrusive camera panned his way. The man looked exhausted.
So was everyone else not wearing the effortless navy blue of PSG. Inter Miami were battered here, out run, outplayed and embarrassed on home(ish) turf. The 4-0 loss Sunday in the Club World Cup round of 16 will hurt the competitors on the pitch, give fuel to the online Lionel Messi trolls, and reflect poorly on Javier Mascherano in his first season in club management.
Inter Miami owners Jorge Mas and David Beckham won't take it well. It will also, undoubtedly, be a stick to beat MLS with in the coming days, weeks, and months. Seriously, this is the best you guys can offer?
But to criticize Miami, loss or not, is to miss the broader point. The 4-0 scoreline was comprehensive. But when put into context, makes perfect sense. Miami had stretched what MLS could do in this tournament, reached just beyond where the league really sits in the global sphere. And when they took the field against the true elite - who had big money and better players - there was only one way this game was going to go.
