Inter Miami’s MLS season could be over BEFORE Lionel Messi arrives after 4-1 loss at Philadelphia Union

The only good thing for Inter Miami in this humiliation is that Lionel Messi was over 5,000 miles away playing an exhibition match in Argentina. If he had sat down and watched this horror show in its entirety, it would have ruined his 36th birthday.

This was an awful performance from Miami, who lost 4-1 to the Philadelphia Union as the season hit a new low for the team finals in the Eastern Conference. They now face the real possibility of being cut from the playoff spots before Messi even arrives, which would spell catastrophe for all of Major League Soccer.

Miami is now 11 points behind Wayne Rooney’s D.C. United, which occupies ninth and final play-in place for the post-season playoffs. Miami have two games left, but given their current form, they risk being so far adrift that Messi will be too late to get them into the playoffs.

There are four more MLS games between now and when Messi is reportedly set to make his debut, in the Leagues Cup against Cruz Azul on July 21. But opposition in Austin, Columbus, Rooney’s DC and St. Louis make the calendar look unforgiving.

Defensively, Miami was terrible on Saturday night – the second goal came after the ball bounced over defender Christopher McVey’s head in the penalty area – and on offense the game repeatedly fell apart with players unable to read the game and running into space.

Miami could be drifting from the MLS playoff spots before Lionel Messi joins the team

Leon Flach’s goal gave Union a 3–0 halftime lead against Miami

Miami went into halftime 3-0 and still had 70 percent possession, which is a recurring theme of their season – lots of possession, but no idea what to do with it.

When Messi arrives, the plan should be to just give it to him. But worryingly for Miami, there’s even less of a clue when they don’t have possession.

The first goal for Union came in the 14th minute from a header by Jakob Glesnes. The six-foot-tall Norwegian was manmarked in a corner by five-foot-tall David Ruiz, who had no chance of beating him in the air. The night would only get worse for 19-year-old Ruiz.

The second was McVey’s terrible foul and Julian Carranza, a former Inter Miami player, buried the ball from close range with an easy finish.

Leon Flach rounded off a fine team move just before half-time with a powerful left-footed attack from the edge of the penalty area, but he had all the time in the world to get into position and pick his spot. He duly did so for 3-0 Union.

There was a glimmer of hope for Miami early in the second half when Robert Taylor’s shot from range took a big deflection and went in in the 50th minute. But Union was too good and too organized to let Miami back in.

Later, a coded Miami defense failed to field a ball over the top to Mikael Uhre. He held the ball up and looked for Carranza, but Luiz, running back, unintentionally guided the ball past goalkeeper Drake Callender for an own goal and Union’s fourth.

Jack McGlynn then hit the post with a powerful left foot of his own.

It was a tough night for Miami midfielder David Ruiz, who scored an own goal in the big defeat

Sergio Busquets follows Messi to Miami – they can’t pair up there fast enough

Miami now has a week to pick up the pieces. Will interim coach Javier Morales, who fills in after Phil Neville was fired, still stay on?

Off the field, Inter Miami is in an exciting place. Sergio Busquets will follow Messi through the entrance, as confirmed in another stunning move by Jorge Mas and David Beckham on Friday night.

Reports in Spain on Saturday also said the team will put more effort into signing Barcelona left-back Jordi Alba in what would mark another milestone.

But as it stands, 2023 will be written off by the team they field. Things have to change, fast.