- Lionel Messi returns
- Inter Miami fall short
- A few words each bullet point
TELL ME MORE: Inter Miami's postseason dreams are officially just dreams now, as the Herons were eliminated from postseason contention by FC Cincinnati on Saturday evening. Lionel Messi's side needed a victory on the night to guarantee that they would live to fight another day, but a 4-0 win from CF Montreal over the Portland Timbers officially sent the Herons, and their playoff dreams, packing.
The Herons hit the post three times in the first-half, but failed to find the back of the net throughout the 90 minutes played, as they lacked clinical finishing in the final-third along with a sense of composure. Cincy, meanwhile, got their finish as Alvaro Barreal scored the goal that effectively ended Miami's season.
THE MVP: The clear answer here is FC Cincinnati and their head coach Pat Noonan. The rush of winning the 2023 MLS Supporters' Shield clearly had no effect on them as they played both composed and clinical throughout the entire match.
They shut Messi out after he came off the bench and pulled the life out of the entire stadium with a game-winning goal in the second-half. It was a brilliant performance from the 2023 MLS Cup favorites.
THE BIG LOSER: The answer has to be the Herons organization as a whole. They went from winning the inaugural Leagues Cup to making the U.S. Open Cup final only to fall short of the 2023 MLS playoffs, as the injury bug bit their team one-too-many times.
Missing not only Messi over a four-game stretch, but also Jordi Alba and then being without starting striker Leonardo Campana Saturday evening, the odds were never in their favor.
MATCH IN THREE PHOTOS:
Getty Images
Getty Images
Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT INTER MIAMI? The Herons take on Charlotte FC on Wednesday, October 18.
MATCH RATING: ⭐⭐