Miami's Worst MLS Performance in Messi Era: Takeaways From Loss to Minnesota United | OneFootball

Lionel Messi reached uncharted territory with Inter Miami CF on Saturday afternoon, as the Herons fell 4–1 to Minnesota United on Matchday 12 of the MLS regular season.

For the first time since the Argentine joined the club in the summer of 2023, he was on the pitch for a loss of three or more goals, even as he scored in a short comeback effort.

While the 37-year-old has not played in every match and has scored in his last two, the club continues to slide down the Eastern Conference standings. After the loss to Minnesota, they have now dropped four of their previous five matches in all competitions.

Head coach Javier Mascherano tweaked his lineup on Saturday, yet his players struggled to impose themselves, despite holding 76 percent of the possession.

Strikes from Bongokuhle Hlongwane, Anthony Markanich, Robin Lod and an own goal from Miami defender Marcelo Weigandt brought Minnesota to their four goals. Messi scored to put Miami on the scoresheet.

As the struggles continue for the South Florida club, here are three takeaways from their latest result.

Miami's New Look Midfield

Sergio Busquets played with both Yannick Bright and Federico Redondo in a midfield trio against Minnesota United / Brace Hemmelgarn-Imagn Images

For the first time as Inter Miami manager, Mascherano opted to start Sergio Busquets, Yannick Bright, and Federico Redondo in a three-man central midfield.

While the rookie manager has often opted for two of the three in a midfield pivot, it was clear he sought a new progression to take advantage of a Minnesota United side likely to give up the majority of possession.

Through the game's early stages, it appeared Redondo and Bright were mixing up their assignments, with little clarity about which player should engage in the attack and which should provide defensive cover. Meanwhile, this forced Busquets into a deeper role, holding him back from making significant passes—he finished the match with no chances created.

Neither Redondo nor Bright lasted 90 minutes, with Mascherano tinkering at halftime. However, despite the switches introducing Tadeo Allende and Leo Afonso, Miami struggled to progress quickly and failed to defend Minnesota’s counterattack.

Seeing Mascherano adapt the midfield and get all three players in is undoubtedly a significant evolution for the manager, even if it failed to produce any bright spots in the matchup.

Simple Defensive Mistakes

Inter Miami defender Marcelo Weigandt (center) scored an own goal against Minnesota United / Brace Hemmelgarn-Imagn Images

It’s no secret that Inter Miami are a front-loaded team that will win because of their attack. However, their defensive struggles have been more concerning recently and reared their ugly heads against Minnesota.

Coming into the match, it was widely known that Miami would hold onto a significant majority of possession, and Minnesota would counter quickly. As much as Mascherano’s initial tactic focused on making the most of that possession, it struggled to come together, leaving the defense disconnected.

All the mistakes and adjusted tactics led to Minnesota’s first goal. A well-built, team play and attack, something head coach Eric Ramsay hasn’t gotten out of his team many times this season.

In the clip above, center back Noah Allen and midfield Redondo were pulled into Minnesota’s Joaquin Pereyra, leaving Carlos Harvey unmarked at the top of the box, which gave him plenty of time to thread a ball through to Hlongwane.

It was a classic case of marking the ball instead of the play, and Minnesota did a good job drawing attention to Pereyra while opening up space, even if that’s a pass and a chance Miami should not be allowing.

A Worrying Overall Effort?

Lionel Messi was noticeably unhappy with some of his teammates on Saturday / Brace Hemmelgarn-Imagn Images

Four losses in five games in all competitions is far from foreign territory for Inter Miami. When they joined MLS in 2020, there were plenty of bad spells, so owners David Beckham and Jorge Mas knew this poor form could happen.

Yet, the worrying trend in Miami’s recent losses is a lack of fightback and commitment. They’ve often wilted after going down two goals, which happened against Vancouver Whitecaps FC, FC Dallas, and now Minnesota.

While the pressures of the MLS regular season and even the Concacaf Champions Cup may not measure up to the most significant moments of the club’s superstars’ careers, the lack of desire to stay in games has been noticeable, especially as they have shed MLS veterans.

Overall, Miami’s roster build is flawed, with a lack of mid-tier talent that often allows MLS sides to elevate themselves beyond their top players, who remain the key facets of a team’s relative success.

At the same time, leaving Messi isolated as a non-pressing striker showed the unreliability of the rest of the attacking options, even though Luis Suárez remained out injured. With their poor form and lack of fightback, the club has plenty of questions and options as they look ahead to their next games and the Secondary Transfer Window.

"We face many teams similar to Minnesota. Our approach to being a protagonist forces us to take risks, and to take those risks, we must be much more focused,” Mascherano said post-match. “If the players' performance drops, the responsibility is entirely mine. There's a coach, and if he doesn't deliver what you want, it's the coach's responsibility."