Something is seriously wrong with Inter Miami and it can no longer be ignored
Right now, Inter Miami are the defending MLS Cup champions. They defeated the Vancouver Whitecaps last season to win their first league title.
The reigning Supporters' Shield winners, breaking the record previously held by the New England Revolution. However, all of that seems to have faded away since the World Cup.
It is odd to see these recent performances from the Herons because, when the regular season returned to action, they had two beautiful and spectacular games, even against one of the toughest teams in the Eastern Conference: the Chicago Fire.
Today we will try to figure out why Inter Miami is suddenly the worst-playing team in the Conference.
Inter Miami needs to turn things around immediately
We have to break things down to understand why Inter Miami's level of play suddenly declined so much. I'm not saying they're the worst team right now, but if you watch their matches, the fluidity in their play and attack isn't the same as it was at the beginning.
The first item to discuss, and the most crucial, in my opinion, is the childish mistakes made by the defender and the goalkeeper.
Defensive and childish mistakes
How many times, since the start of the regular season, have we seen Rocco Ríos Novo or the defenders do things that go against the common sense of anyone who has ever stepped onto a soccer field?
On top of that, the Argentine goalkeeper’s performance is horrible, making mistakes that shouldn't happen; not that he shouldn't make them, but that he can’tmake them. Sorry, someone has to say it; this is not the Rios Novo we’ve seen.
For instance, the first image that comes to mind is the mistake made against the Chicago Fire that led to the rival’s first goal. But then, he was caught too far forward of the goal.
Next, the defense appeared lost during long periods of the game. They often failed to follow their marks and left massive gaps between the lines.
Everyone knows that to be solid defensively, you must keep the lines compact to limit the opponent’s space and passing options. The issue here is that Guillermo Hoyos can’t correct anything; it is a basic thing players learn when they are 10 years old.
The play no longer flows through the midfield throughout the entire match
If you watch Inter Miami closely, their best attacking moments come when the midfield moves the ball fluidly and connects with Lionel Messi through incisive passes between the lines.
And there is the issue. The ball doesn't flow through the midfield. It's like they want to get rid of it, like it's burning, and playing that way, they'll never replicate the number of attacks and chances they created in the past.
Inter Miami have a good midfield, but they haven't been able to get the most out of it since Busquets left. Casemiro's arrival was supposed to fill that gap, but his signing hasn't had the desired effect yet.
Unless Casemiro, Yannick Bright, or Rodrigo De Paul take charge in midfield and drive the team forward, Messi, Suárez, and Berterame will rarely find themselves in positions to threaten the goal.
To solve this, Inter Miami must return to their basics and control the game with the ball, not run behind it.
