How far can Inter Miami go in the Leagues Cup without Luis Suárez? | OneFootball

Suárez' famous lack of self control could cost Inter Miami a trophy

Luis "El Pistolero" Suárez, the 39-year-old former Uruguay, Liverpool and Barcelona star is playing perhaps the best soccer of his 2 1/2 years at Inter Miami. He has 10 goals and 6 assists in 2026, all but a single goal and one helper coming after interim coach Guillermo Hoyos inserted him back into the starting lineup nine matches ago. He has 7 goals and an assist in the Herons' last four matches, including a beautiful 40-yard chip over Columbus goalkeeper Patrick Schulte and a pinpoint accurate cross that Noah Allen headed down into the goal in first-half stoppage time.

Suárez' play has earned him four straight selections to Major League Soccer's Team of the Matchday.

When a player is in the form Suárez has shown since mid-April, conventional wisdom -- and plain ole common sense -- says to stick with him. Unfortunately, Hoyos doesn't have a choice; Inter Miami will be without Suárez for the next three matches, all at home, all against Liga MX competition. Las Garzas hosts Atlético San Luis on Wednesday, Monterrey on Saturday, and León on Aug. 12 in Leagues Cup group stage action. The Herons have been making do with a hodge-podge lineup thanks to international duty, injuries and suspensions, and now with a trophy at stake they have to play without their most effective player of the past few weeks.

And Suárez has nobody to blame but himself.

El Pistolero, "The Gunslinger," is notorious for his unsportsmanlike behavior, a byproduct of his intensely competitive nature, but his actions after Inter Miami lost last year's Leagues Cup final in Seattle cannot be justified. Suárez wrestled with former Sounders star Obed Vargas, at one point holding him around the neck, instigating an ugly scene involving players from both teams. During the fracas, Suárez ended an altercation with a Sounders official by spitting on him.Did I mention that was the Leagues Cup final? The same competition the Herons are about to join tomorrow night? When the dust had settled, the Cup's disciplinary committee issued Suárez a six-match suspension; Major League Soccer eventually issued him a three-match suspension, which resulted in his losing his starting job to Mateo Silvetti. He played limited minutes in the Herons' playoff run and didn't play a second in the team's first MLS Cup championship.

And now, it's time to suffer the consequences of his indiscretions; even if Miami advances in the tournament -- which, honestly, they should -- Suárez will not be available to play. The most matches the Herons could play in Leagues Cup is six, the same number of matches Suarez must sit out.

Striker Dániel Pintér, 19, started against Columbus on Saturday and could feature in Inter Miami's Leagues Cup group stage matches while Luis Suárez serves a six-match ban from the competition. | Icon Sportswire/GettyImages

Who might take his place in the starting 11? It's unclear whether Germán Berterame, who has been out since suffering neck and shoulder injuries and a concussion against Montreal, will be available. If not, I expect to see Lionel Messi play a false nine -- a sort of roving striker -- with Mateo Silvetti and Dániel Pintér -- the19-year-old started against Columbus and played well -- on the wings.

Oddsmakers still think Inter Miami is the team to beat in the Leagues Cup -- Vegas has them favored with 7-1 odds to lift their second Leagues Cup trophy -- and the Herons have the talent to win IF they rediscover the flow that defined their attack before the World Cup break. I'm betting they will.

Yes, I'm disappointed that Suárez isn't available to play, and I hope his absence doesn't hurt the Herons. But I'm glad he's being held accountable for his actions. Maybe, finally, he'll learn to control himself.