Inter Miami picks: Predicting Lionel Messi's team's games for rest of MLS season as Herons pursue playoff push
CBSN
The club has a long way to go to make the postseason, but nobody has been able to stop them just yet
After being treated to the appetizer of Lionel Messi in Leagues Cup play where the Argentine star led Inter Miami to the title while registering 10 goals and one assist, we're beginning to enter crunch time where he'll now need to lead them to a playoff berth against all odds. While he'll have help as the team were able to earn a first-half lead against the New York Red Bulls on Saturday that Messi was able to finish off by scoring his first MLS goal, they're still 11 points off of ninth place in the league with only 11 matches to go. That climb into a playoff spot is not insurmountable and nothing seems impossible for this red-hot squad. Aug. 30 7:30 p.m. ET Nashville SC Inter Miami 2, Nashville 1 Sept. 3 10 p.m. ET @ Los Angeles FC LAFC 3, Inter Miami 2 Sept. 9 7:30 p.m. ET Sporting Kansas City Inter Miami 3, Sporting 1 Sept. 16 5 p.m. ET @ Atlanta United Atlanta United 3, Inter Miami 3 Sept. 20 7:30 p.m. ET Toronto FC Inter Miami 5, Toronto 0 Sept. 24 7:30 p.m. ET Orlando City SC Orlando City 1, Inter Miami 2 Sept. 30 7:30 p.m. ET New York City FC Inter Miami 2, NYCFC 0 Oct. 4 8:30 p.m. ET @ Chicago Fire Chicago 1, Inter Miami 3 Oct. 7 7:30 p.m. ET FC Cincinnati Inter Miami 2, FC Cincinnati 3 Oct. 18 8 p.m. ET Charlotte FC Inter Miami 2, Charlotte FC 0 Oct. 21 6 p.m. ET @ Charlotte FC Charlotte FC 1, Inter Miami 3
But not only will Miami need to pick up as many points as possible, but they'll also need help from the teams around them as they don't control their own destiny. The other squad members will also be critical as during international breaks in September and October, Tata Martino could be without a large portion of the roster while facing Sporting Kansas City and Charlotte FC twice.
Serhiy Kryvtsov has already been called up by Ukraine, Messi, Robert Taylor, and Josef Martinez will be with their nations and Leonardo Campana could join them as well. That's even if Drake Callender doesn't end up in U.S. men's national team camp since Zack Steffan is injured and Ethan Horvath no longer has a starting role. Miami will have holes in the roster which Martino will need to work around. New signings Diego Gomez, Tomas Aviles and Facundo Farias will make that easier to do but everyone will need to contribute to weather the storm.
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