Lionel Messi is really good. So is Luis Suarez. And Sergio Busquets. And they’re all on the same team carrying perhaps the three best resumes in an entire league (We’re not even mentioning the injured Jordi Alba).
It’s worth it, really, if in between the bellyaching over whether Inter Miami is #actuallygood you put aside your pro-MLS or anti-MLS bias and just acknowledge the greatness of a reigning Ballon d’Or winner and his pals playing their domestic soccer in your country.
Inter Miami is 5W-3D-2L through 10 games, atop the MLS Supporters’ Shield table but with the asterisk that comes from playing at least one more game than every team in the league. Their 22 goals scored pace the league, and Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi are tied with Real Salt Lake’s Cristian Arango in goal contributions atop MLS with 10 each.
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Messi, it’s worth nothing, has missed five games this season — the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinal and four MLS contests — and has nine goals and five assists in nine appearances totaling 724 minutes.
The fun continued at Chase Stadium on Saturday, as Messi scored twice and set up a Sergio Busquets goal off his corner kick service in a 3-1 comeback win. Suarez also registered an assist.
Miami trailed 1-0 after a second-minute own goal but came back to win a very entertaining game. Both teams produced well over 2 xG, and Nashville took 13 of the game’s 23 shots while Miami shaded possession at 52%.
But it’s also worth nothing how wise Miami is in the final third with Messi, Suarez, and Co. Miami put seven of their 10 attempts on target.
Again, this team has played more games than anyone else but it’s still notable that they lead the league in assists-per-90 minutes and expected assists.
Miami is unbeaten — 4W-2D — in MLS play when Messi plays and 1W-1D-2L when he doesn’t. The only match they’ve lost without him was the CCC second leg in Monterrey, and Messi has at least a goal or assist in every Miami game he’s played this young season.
In summation, I would recommend every MLS team sign the best attacker of all-time.
