After a mid-season playoff push, a late slump knocked Inter Miami out of contention for the MLS Playoffs. Inter Miami is the highest spending team in the entire MLS, with the team spending $17.8 million on their roster. Despite this, Inter Miami finished the season in 11th place in the Eastern Conference with just 38 points in 33 matches.
From April 18 to July 21, Inter Miami played their first 12 matches. This time frame saw the team garner just eight points in these matches, winning two games, drawing two and losing eight. Rough starts have the potential to set the tone for the rest of the season, though the Herons didn’t allow that to happen.
Their meteoric rise from July 25 to Sept. 11 gave many hopes and there was finally a glimpse of their potential. In their 11 matches during this time frame, Inter Miami won seven, drew three and lost just one match. This showing of dominance had the Herons sitting as high fifth in the Eastern Conference standings. The rise fell just as quickly as it started.
From Sept. 17 to Oct. 30, the Herons played in ten matches, losing eight and winning two. Inter Miami gave up 22 goals and scored just 11 goals in their rough stretch. Going into the slump, Inter Miami’s playoff hopes stood high, though the slump ended any chance of the Herons qualifying. If the team expects to win in the future, better performances from their big money players will be essential.
Their three designated players have largely underperformed compared to their expectations. Mexican international Rodolfo Pizarro scored just three goals and had three assists in 26 appearances for the Herons. His salary, $3.05 million, is the seventh highest base salary in the MLS. Inter Miami is paying a lot of money for a player who gives little to no impact, yet plays in the most creative attacking role as the center attacking midfielder.
Gonzalo Higuain, a player who once led Series A in goalscoring with 36 goals in 35 matches in 2015-2016, scored just 12 goals in 30 matches. Higuain is the second highest paid player in the MLS with a $5.1 million base salary. Higuain finished the season at 13th in goals scored, with six of the 13 playing less than 30 games. The one-prolific goal scorer’s play will need to be better for Miami to get a return on the steep investment that Higuain is.
Blaise Matuidi was the centerpiece of France during their World Cup run in 2018. The French midfielder scored at least four goals for Paris Saint-Germain from 2012 to 2017. He also had 13 assists during that time frame. In 31 appearances for the Herons, he scored no goals and had just one assist. The World Cup winner’s impact hasn’t been up to par with the accolades that he carries and will need to have a bigger impact on the game for the Herons going forward.
