After an impressive road win for Columbus last Sunday, the focus now shifts to….Cleveland? That’s right, folks, the Crew are in “The Land” this Saturday for an Eastern Conference showdown against Messi and Inter Miami. The Crew sit atop the Eastern Conference thanks to three straight wins and an eight-match MLS unbeaten streak that is tied for the longest in club history. That will mean little to Messi and Miami as they come to town fresh off of a CONCACAF Champions Cup victory over LAFC and only three points behind the Crew in the East. It is only April, but this feels like just about as big a match as you can ask for in the early stages of an MLS campaign. While there is plenty of focus on the off-field issues surrounding the match and on Messi and his friends, the Crew will be looking to take care of business on the field and grow their lead at the top of the East. 

Inter Miami at a glance:

Form: D-W-D-L-W

Record: 4-3-0  (15 Points)

Leading Scorer: Lionel Messi, Telasco Segovia  (3 goals)

Assist Leader: Luis Suare (5 assists)

Player to watch: Lionel Messi

Ever heard of him? Messi is considered the greatest player of all time, let alone in MLS. You’ve seen the highlights, fanfare, and heard the name pretty much any time you’ve turned on an MLS game the last two years. He’s absolute magic with the ball, and one of the smartest players ever. The ball is seemingly glued to his foot, until he waves his left leg like a wand and commands the ball right to his teammate’s foot, or in the top corner. The question with Messi isn’t whether or not the Crew can stop him, but can the Crew contain him enough to keep him from winning the game on his own. 

How Inter Miami Play:

Argentina, Barcelona, and Liverpool legend Javier Mascherano is in his first-ever season as a head coach at the senior level. Mascherano brings experience from his time in charge of Argentina’s U20 and U23 teams with him to Miami to coach the likes of Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, and others.

It sure helps that Mascherano has played with all of them at Barcelona and knows exactly the style and culture that Messi & Co. are looking for. There’s been very little nuance to Mascherano’s system since taking the helm in Miami, but please don’t confuse that with it being a bad tactical setup. Mascherano’s side lines up in a way that allows them to maximize their talent advantage and keep teams uncomfortable with and without the ball. 

When they have the ball, Miami’s 4-3-3 turns into a 4-2-1-3, with Messi being by himself to give him maximum time and space to do what he does best. The outside backs will push high up the field in wide areas, while the wingers will move higher up the field and a bit more central to occupy the opposing backline. This shape allows Miami to have a good structure to both keep the ball as much as possible as well as create time and space for Messi. In addition, it allows their front three to have a pretty simple job of beating their mark and bearing down on goal. Miami has the sixth-best goals per match and the sixth-highest possession percentage for a reason. 

Defensively, Miami has been a little more of a mixed bag. Miami’s defensive setup is usually either a 4-4-2 or 4-3-3, depending on personnel and their matchup. Out of these formations, Miami has also shown flexibility on where its line of pressure begins. Against teams who are at or below average in possession, Miami will usually press higher up the field, as there’s less risk of being beaten by a string of passes. Against better in possession teams, Miami will defend a little deeper, normally about 3/4ths of the field away from their goal. Due to the Crew’s ability in possession and formation, my best guess is we’ll see Miami defend in a mid-block out of a 4-3-3 shape. 

How the Crew can Win

There’s a ton of outside noise surrounding this match. Whether it be the location of the game, or the opponent, there’s plenty going on to distract the Black & Gold. Ultimately, the game will be decided on the field. For the Crew to win, they need to be really good in the following areas. 

1. Defensive Compactness: Much like the Crew, Miami’s attacking shape is designed to stretch and pull opponents out of shape to create space to exploit. The Crew needs to keep that from happening as much as possible on Saturday. Look for the Crew to limit space between the backline and forwards in order to keep the space for Messi and friends to a minimum. 
2. Keep the Ball: Both the Crew and Miami love to have the ball. The Crew is a bit better at keeping the ball than Miami; they need to maximize that on Saturday. Not only will it keep Miami from getting in a rhythm and lead to frustration for the Herons, but it’ll also lead to goals. For as good as Messi and Suarez are, nobody recognizes them for their defending. Busquets has certainly lost a step, and Miami’s backline and goalkeeper are the weakest part of the team. Possession will likely lead to goals and points on Saturday. 
3. Counterpress Effectively: For as good as Miami is in possession, they’re equally as good on the counterattack. The thought of Messi and the rest of the gang running at a disorganized, outnumbered backline is a scary thought. Look for the Crew to keep these moments from happening by winning the ball back quickly when they lose it.