High expectations overshadow Inter Miami's 11-match unbeaten streak | OneFootball

Most Major League Soccer fanbases would celebrate an 11-match unbeaten streak; Inter Miami supporters have higher expectations. Eleven unbeaten sounds pretty sexy, until you check the results: After a season-opening loss to LAFC, the Herons have managed five wins -- all on the road -- and six draws.

Soccer critics love to compare ties to kissing one's sibling. Tying high-stakes games are worse, as the Herons are learning in 2026.

Two early draws resulted in Los Garzas' early elimination from the CONCACAF Champions Cup -- the competition ownership had called the club's top priority for the season. The Herons and Nashville SC played to 0-0 and 1-1 draws, but Nashville advanced on the tournament's away-goal tiebreaker. Some loyal fans will insist the Coyotes didn't beat the Pink. Still, the end of the club's Champions Cup dream felt devastating, disastrous.

Miami's long-awaited move into their new stadium, 26,700-seat NU Stadium next to Miami International Airport, in April, was supposed to celebrate and rejuvenate the club. Unfortunately, the Herons still are looking for their first win in their magnificent new home. Draws against Austin FC, the New York Red Bulls and, most recently, the New England Revolution, have sent fans home shaking their heads.

On April 15, head coach Javier Mascherano and his entire staff resigned for unspecified "personal reasons." Most observers believe the weight of the Herons' high ambitions led to Mascherano's departure, whether the decision to leave was his own or a "suggestion" from ownership. (Former coach Tata Martino also resigned for personal reasons after the record-setting 2024 season ended with a humiliating first-round playoff loss to underdog Atlanta United).

OK, the Herons have failed to meet the club's high expectations, but how bad is it, really? Inter Miami still could win three major trophies this year, the Leagues Cup, Supporters' Shield and MLS Cup, and despite the doom and gloom, the Herons' record is almost exactly the same (5-1-4, 19 points) as it was a year ago after 10 matches (6-1-3, 21 points). The championship squad had scored 20 goals and allowed 11; this year's edition has scored 19 and surrendered 15.

Don't forget, Los Garzas lost two all-time greats when Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets retired after winning the MLS Cup a year ago; Miami still is juggling lineups and formations to find a way to replace their irreplaceable talents. Injuries also have plagued the Herons, slowing the integration of new players into the side.

It's a long season, we're less than a third of the way through it. The jury is still out on interim coach Guillermo Hoyos but Miami has enough talent to repeat as MLS champions if Hoyos is merely competent and the Herons can avoid major injuries. Even the Champions Cup disappointment has a bright side; early elimination means fewer matches and more recovery time. The Herons played well over 50 matches in 2025, an MLS record. The reduced match load should benefit the squad and give them more opportunities to train together, developing the camaraderie and confidence in one another great teams require.

Miami will try to extend its string of unbeaten matches and notch its first win at Nu Stadium when it hosts in-state rival Orlando City on Saturday.