Inter Miami vs. Porto FC: Could whining hurt the Herons in the Club World Cup? | OneFootball

Inter Miami will test itself today against Portugal's Dragons

Inter Miami CF has nothing -- or everything -- to prove at the FIFA Club World Cup, depending on one's expectations of the Herons and Major League Soccer.

If, like me, you think a sixth-year club with no league, national or regional championships and a roster limited by age, injuries and salary regulations is fortunate to test itself against some of the world's greatest clubs, then the Herons have nothing to prove. The scoreless draw Saturday against Egyptian champions Al-Ahly was a thrilling match, with heroics from both goalkeepers. I have two goals for Los Garzas in this tournament: First? Don't get embarrassed. So far, so good. Second? Advance to the Round of 16. We'll know more about that after this afternoon's match.

On the other hand, if you're among those supporters disappointed by Inter Miami's performance in its first group match, if you believe the presence of all-time great Lionel Messi and his Barcelona teammates on Inter Miami's roster automatically elevates them to contender status in any competition, the Herons MUST advance in the Club World Cup. Failing to advance out of the group stage would be a disaster and a tremendous challenge to your premise. Again, we'll know more about that this evening.

Inter Miami defender Sergio Busquets questions referee Alireza Faghani during the Herons' match Saturday against Al-Ahly. | Megan Briggs/GettyImages

'Fair Play Points': Card accumulation could cost Herons in group play

Group A started FIFA Club World Cup with two scoreless draws: Inter Miami CF and Egypt's Al-Ahly failed to score Saturday in the competition's opening match and Brazilian giants Palmeiras and Portuguese powerhouse Porto followed the script Sunday. Heading into today's matches (Al-Ahly and Palmeiras play at noon EDT at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ), the teams are tied with 1 point and no goals. But Inter Miami is last in the group.

Michelle Kaufman, soccer writer for the Miami Herald, explained that "Miami is listed in fourth place among the four because after head-to-head, goal differential and goals scored, the next group tiebreaker is Fair Play Points (red and yellow cards). Inter Miami collected four yellow cards in the opening match (Tomas Aviles, Fede Redondo, Sergio Busquets, Luis Suarez). Palmeiras and Porto got two apiece and Al Ahly just one."

The Herons don't actually collect cards like Green Stamps (am I too old? Look it up), it just seems that way because so many are so unnecessary. Inter Miami's players, especially Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets, regularly whine, question, debate, crowd and generally harass officials -- it cost them a goal earlier this season when the Herons argued whether a goalie illegally picked up a ball after what our players thought was a back-pass. While they bickered with the ref, the opponent scored on a breakaway.

Aviles (who led MLS with 13 yellow cards a year ago) made a boneheaded foul after an Al-Ahly player beat him in the first half Saturday, perhaps not realizing the player wasn't in a dangerous position and he had defensive help. Busquets earned an even more foolish yellow card, arguing with the referee who was arguing with Suarez' positioning on a corner kick.

World-class teams don't draw such penalties, and teams with the class I expect Inter Miami to show don't let the officiating distract them from the match. Only the captain should address the referee, and always in a professional manner.

Add discipline to a reliable backup striker, more size on defense and improved set-piece defense to the list of things lacked by the Pink & Black.