Inter Miami crashed out of the 2024 MLS play-offs in shocking fashion after a surprise defeat against Atlanta United.
Tata Martino’s former side were able to best the Herons in the best-of-three play-off series as the MLS Cup favorites Inter Miami were eliminated by the lowest-seeded team in the Eastern Conference.
With Jordi Alba criticizing how the MLS play-offs are structured, there has been a lot of discussion surrounding the nature of MLS and how a team like Inter Miami can drop out of the competition so early into the post-season.
And former USA international Taylor Twellman has now had his say on Alba’s play-off comments.
Twellman addresses Inter Miami’s defensive issues after Alba’s comments
Speaking on MLS’s official website, Twellman noted that Alba shouldn’t be using the MLS play-off format as an excuse for why Inter Miami crashed out so early in the post-season, with the pundit noting that Atlanta’s tactics were the reason the Herons lost the series.
The Georgia franchise have proven to be Inter Miami’s Achilles heel this season with Atlanta beating their Florida rivals three times in all competitions this year, with Lionel Messi playing the full 90 in all three matches.
And for Twellman, Atlanta’s ability to beat Inter Miami and to expose them on the transition is the reason Martino’s former side were able to progress in the play-offs, not because of the format, as Alba has suggested.
Twellman said: “You didn’t lose because of the format, you lost because this team could not defend in transition all season long, and Atlanta knew it, and they had your number. So much so that Messi played 90 minutes in 18 games in 2024, and Miami only lost three times, all three of those to Atlanta United, ouch.”
Inter Miami simply have to do better next season after early play-off exit
Nobody could have predicted Inter Miami’s year to come to such an early end having set a new regular-season points record and clinching the Supporters’ Shield in dramatic fashion against the Columbus Crew.
Yet going into 2025, Inter Miami know they have to do better if they’re to go all the way in the post-season and to lay down their mark on the continental stage in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
Indeed, blaming the play-off format will do Inter Miami little favor in their bid to become the biggest and best side in MLS, and there will need to be plenty of self-reflection this off-season heading into 2025.