Messi absence looms large: Inter Miami "no longer depend on ourselves" for playoffs

Gerardo “Tata” Martino tried to put the best possible face on his team’s situation. Yet the disappointment, and a hint of rising frustration, was palpable.

Lionel Messi missed his fourth consecutive Inter Miami CF match, the Herons got ambushed by Chicago Fire FC at a packed, vibrant Soldier Field, and the resulting 4-1 loss effectively robs IMCF of their own agency as their desperate chase for the Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs approaches no-hope territory.

Mathematically, it’s not over yet. But Miami effectively must win their final three matches and hope for scorelines elsewhere to break in their favor, or a season that just a few weeks ago felt euphoric and historic will abruptly conclude on Decision Day, Oct. 21.

“With sadness, seeing how the last chances are disappearing,” said Martino in Spanish postgame, “we no longer depend on ourselves. There may be some minimal possibility and other results may or may not help us. … With the deterioration that the team has been experiencing in the last 15 days, I don't think the problem lies only in what our opponents are doing.”

Knockout blow?

Perhaps most revealing was the pragmatism in the coach’s implicit pivot towards the big picture as he acknowledged their “slim chance” of qualification. Miami are currently in 14th place, five points below the line.

“I always thought,” he said, “that these six months were to shape the club, and have an excellent 2024.”

While most of the record-setting crowd (62,124 fans) reacted gleefully to the Fire’s emphatic win – a result that nudges them above the playoff line into eighth place despite ample struggles of their own this year – others were inevitably disappointed at Messi’s absence. Martino let slip a trace of annoyance at the constant questions about Messi’s health.

"I understand the expectation in Chicago, like there’s been in other places, but when a player isn’t in condition to play, he can’t play. We can’t make him go out and play under any circumstance,” he said.

“I think it’s very strange in the context of world football that a manager must explain to the opposing fans why the best player in the world isn’t playing. They are situations that arise only because it’s about him and because we’re here in the United States. In no other place would the home fans be worried if the opposing team’s best player wasn’t playing.”

Messidependencia

The Herons fought gamely in this Eastern Conference six-pointer on the shores of Lake Michigan, battling back to level the match via a Josef Martínez penalty kick almost immediately after Xherdan Shaqiri opened the scoring early in the second half.

But their recurring defensive shortcomings, particularly in transition situations, betrayed them yet again, and both attacking inspiration and coldblooded finishing were hard to come by with the GOAT left at home.

"I think there were two decisive moments. We had two clear plays [chances] to go up 2-1, and then we lost the ball in the attack, leading to counterattacks in space,” said Martino, who lined his side up in a 4-3-3 formation rather than the 5-3-2 shape he’s often used in recent weeks. “Two situations that somehow ratify a bit this idea of playing with a line of five [defenders].

“Today we decided to play with the line of four and the truth is that in those moments, this is where we could have gone from being up 2-1 and controlling the match a different way.”

The concept of ‘Messidependencia’ (Messi dependency) has existed for many years, attached to most every team he’s played for, dating back to when he first attained superstar status at FC Barcelona more than a decade ago. Perhaps it should be no great surprise that IMCF are dancing with that devilish challenge as well.

“Messi\] is the best player in the world, who makes all the difference, the one who scores goals, assists, the one who preoccupies the other teams,” holding midfielder [Sergio Busquets told reporters postgame. “Having a player with those qualities gives confidence to everyone. You know that in any action a game can ask for, we need to make the most of it and it is a very important absence for us.”

Messi’s specific injury and outlook for return still remains shrouded in mystery. Will he be able to contribute against freshly-crowned Supporters’ Shield winners FC Cincinnati this Saturday (7:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass)? Or have Miami’s postseason odds now lengthened so much as to make Martino & Co. even more cautious about his health than before? And is he about to jet off to join Argentina’s national team for their October qualifiers despite his fitness issues and lack of recent game time?

Only time will tell.

“I think he’s getting closer to playing again. As we said, we’ll evaluate him tomorrow and Friday to see if he’s in condition [to play],” said Martino. “The most important thing is he’s leaving his injury behind and slowly discovering his best form… we’ll see what’s most convenient ahead of the next game.

"I suppose just like Barcelona in their moment, PSG [Paris Saint-Germain] in their moment, the Argentine national team in their moment, why wouldn’t we miss having the best player in the world? Even when we win, we miss him.”