It was quite a seven day stretch for the fourth youngest MLS franchise, everyone’s favorites in hot pink and black, Inter Miami. In case you were living under a rock, here’s a quick recap.
Hat-Trick, Baby!
Lionel Messi continued to defy time, critics and “defending” by scoring a hat-trick in 11 minutes against a thoroughly demoralized New England Revolution. This after earning a hat-trick against Bolivia last week during the International Break with Argentina. I guess this is what he calls “retirement”?
The Messi Effect
Pundits loved to wax eloquently about “The Messi Effect” this season, but in this case the hyperbole looks justified. Last year Inter Miami sat in 14th place on 19 points. This year Inter Miami recorded the best regular season in MLS history, notching 74 points from 22 wins, 8 draws and 4 losses.
But Wait… There’s More!
Because during the trophy ceremony Inter Miami had a special guest who just happened to be in town… FIFA’s own Dr. Evil impersonator Gianni Infantino. So moved, was he, by their historic season he dropped a genuinely impromptu no-really-this-wasn’t-planned-at-all bombshell: Inter Miami will be included in the FIFA Club World Cup in 2025!
Fan Take vs. Cynic Take
From a fan’s perspective, any tournament with Lionel Messi is more exciting. He’s the player everyone wants to see. And Miami supporters will point to that incredible turnaround and dominant season performance as justification for their inclusion, even if they haven’t actually WON the MLS title. Details, shmetails.
From a cynic’s perspective, any tournament with Lionel Messi is more $$lucrative$$. He’s the player everyone will PAY to see. And the Supporters Shield and dominant season performance provides a thin veneer of legitimacy to what is a blatant cash grab by FIFA brass already exploiting a massive, bloated extension to a ho-hum tournament nobody every really cared about.
I don’t like to brag (much)… but Gary Striker will back me up when I claim to calling Inter Miami’s selection to the Club World Cup two weeks ago. Sometimes the cynical view is the clearest view.
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