Here’s how Inter Miami can clinch Supporters’ Shield, playoff home advantage next week
Put away your calculators, Inter Miami fans. Here is all you need to know about Miami’s chances of winning the MLS Supporters’ Shield and securing home-field advantage throughout the playoffs:
If Inter Miami wins at home Saturday against Charlotte FC and beats the Columbus Crew on the road next Wednesday, it would have 70 points with two games remaining in the regular season. No other team could earn more no matter what they do.
As it stands heading into this weekend, Miami is six points clear of the Los Angeles Galaxy and eight points ahead of FC Cincinnati and the Crew. The Galaxy has three games remaining and could earn a maximum of nine points with three victories, which would put them at 67 points. Cincinnati has four games left and could reach 68 points with four wins.
The Crew enters the weekend with 56 points and five games to go. But four wins and a loss to Miami would mean 68 points, giving Inter Miami the edge. If Miami and Columbus were to tie, the race would tighten, but Lionel Messi and his teammates could clinch the shield with eight points over the final four games.
Also within reach for Inter Miami is the all-time MLS record for points. The New England Revolution set the record with 73 points in 2021.
Inter Miami has been perched atop the standings all season, even though Messi missed 17 games due to injury and Copa America. With so much at stake and sky-high expectations on Miami’s star-studded roster, the pressure on the men in pink is mounting as the postseason looms.
A pair of ties on the road last week to opponents Miami was expected to beat (Atlanta United, NYCFC) made the next two games even more critical.
“With this team, we’ve had pressure since January, not only now,” midfielder Yannick Bright said before training Wednesday. “Obviously, there’s a lot of pressure around us and we want to win everything. It’s expected. We’re pretty positive about the future. I’m not really looking into the points record that much. I don’t want to talk about the games outside Charlotte this weekend.”
Midfielder David Ruiz, a Little Havana native and at 20 one of the youngest players on the roster, said veteran teammates such as Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba are helping the group cope with pressure.
“All those stars are always trying to keep us calm, talk to us, support us,” Ruiz said. “Yes, there’s obviously a lot of pressure because they’re big stars, but I feel like the pressure is more on them than us [young players], so that takes the pressure off us.”
Asked if they would consider their season a failure if they don’t win the Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup, Ruiz said: “I wouldn’t say it’s a failure if we don’t achieve our goals. I would just take it more as a lesson. For me, personally, I’m young and just being able to experience these moments with them is a great learning experience.
“As a team, if we just do our best and go step by step to our objective, that’s all we can do.”
Step one is beating Charlotte at home on Saturday (7:30 p.m., Apple TV). Charlotte is in sixth place in the Eastern Conference and looking to stay above the playoff line.
The road game Wednesday against defending MLS Cup Champion Columbus will be one of the most anticipated matches of the season and a preview of a potential playoff showdown. Inter Miami coach Tata Martino has been singing the Crew’s praises all season, calling coach Wilfried Nancy’s team the best, most consistent, and most disciplined team in the league even though Miami has more points.
In August, Columbus rallied at home and scored three goals in the final 23 minutes to knock Miami out of the Leagues Cup Round-of-16 with a 3-2 victory. Messi was injured and did not play.
Messi also missed their previous match, a league game June 19 in Fort Lauderdale, because he was playing for Argentina in Copa America. Miami won 2-1 with goals by Ian Fray and Leo Campana.
Argentina vs. Venezuela World Cup qualifier
Argentina’s national team will train in South Florida, most likely at the Inter Miami training facility, ahead of the Oct. 10 World Cup qualifier on the road at Venezuela, according to Argentine reporter Gaston Edul of TyC Sports. Messi missed the last two qualifiers in September due to injury. Argentina lost 2-1 to Colombia in a rematch of the Copa America final and beat Chile 3-0. Argentina is in first place in the CONMEBOL South American standings through eight games.
This story was originally published September 25, 2024 at 4:00 PM.