Inter Miami have been on something of a tear in MLS without Lionel Messi, with the Herons winning 4-1 against the Chicago Fire.
Luis Suarez took his tally to the season to 20 in all competitions as the Florida franchise extended their lead at the top of the Supporters’ Shield standings to seven points, with Inter Miami looking set to win their first title of the season.
With Messi still yet to return to MLS action, Inter Miami’s form has been made even that more impressive given how reliant Tata Martino’s side used to be on the Argentine international in his first few months at the club.
And MLS legend Sacha Kljestan has now made a surprising claim about Messi and Inter Miami.
Inter Miami told they don’t need Messi to win the Supporters’ Shield
Writing for MLS’s official website, the former New York Red Bulls midfielder noted how Inter Miami might not even need Messi if they’re to win the Supporters’ Shield in the coming weeks.
With the Herons winning eight of their last nine MLS games without Messi, there’s a real chance Inter Miami do not need the Argentine great if they’re to go all the way, an achievement that would be quite something.
Kljestan wrote on Inter Miami’s 4-1 win against the Chicago Fire: “Miami just keep chugging along without the best player of all time. Do they even need Messi to win the Supporter’s Shield? Probably not. That’s how deep their roster is.
“They went on the road and beat Chicago, 4-1, in front of more than 55,000 fans and never really seemed under pressure. Now they get the international break off to rest and hopefully get their superstar back.”
Herons winning without Messi is a big step in the right direction
Messi joining Inter Miami last summer brought up a lot of questions on if the Herons would become a one-man team given just how incredible the 37-year-old attacker is.
And although this narrative was pretty accurate for the first few months of Messi’s time in Florida, the situation has since changed quite a lot, with Inter Miami now winning games with ease without the Argentine available.
As a result, Inter Miami are taking a big step forward in the right direction in becoming a truly great MLS side, with Messi’s return this month only going to make Martino’s squad even better.