Three months into the season, things are going well Inter Miami. After a disastrous pre-season run, the Hirons entered 2024 under significant pressure, but have clawed their way to the top of the Supporters' Shield standings, despite having played one more game than their rivals.
An amazing superstar duo Lionel Messi And Luis Suarez They have already reached double figures in terms of goals in MLS, and new arrivals such as Julian Gressel, Marcelo Weygandt and Federico Redondo have strengthened their key positions.
However, with the Copa America fast approaching, Inter Miami are about to face their toughest test of the season yet as their star player will be away on international duty. During the months of June and July Lionel Messi will miss at least five MLS matchesPerhaps more if Argentina advances deeper into the competition.
The Hirons' record without Lionel Messi is in stark contrast to their good form with him in the team. Inter Miami has won seven of the nine MLS matches in which Messi has participated in 2024. They won only one of the five games he missed.
Inter Miami summons to Copa America
The 2024 Copa America kicks off on June 20, with Argentina taking on Canada at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. A must have for all teams The final 26-player rosters have been confirmed by June 12 There are a few other Inter Miami players vying for call-ups.
A goal keeper Drake Callender has received several phone calls to the USMNT in the past 12 months Although it has not yet appeared, it is possible that it will be included in the list. Callender has not joined the training squad for the upcoming friendlies, but is likely to step in if anyone suffers an injury in the next few weeks.
Zoom in on the screen
Inter Miami midfielder Diego Gomez has starred this season He worked his way into the starting lineup until he suffered an ankle injury during the win over Nashville last month. The club confirmed that the Paraguayan player is expected to return within six weeks, until the beginning of June.
Gomez, who is still just 21-years-old, starred for Paraguay's under-23 side earlier this year and has already made seven caps. If he returns to the training pitch in early June, he could be called up by Paraguay to participate in the Copa America.
Luis Suarez He has not retired from international football, but it appears he is no longer popular with Uruguayan coach Marcelo Bielsa. He was left out of the squad for the final friendlies in March, but is set to be included in the provisional squad for the Copa America.
Why doesn't the MLB stop working for FIFA windows?
The Copa America and the UEFA European Championship will be played during one of the international breaks scheduled by FIFA, when most of the world's domestic competitions stop.
However, Major League Soccer, one of the few leagues that plays an “annual” schedule, will continue to operate through the summer. This means that some of the league's best players, led by Lionel Messi, will not be available for their teams during a key period of the season. Inter Miami coach Tata Martino is not very happy with this situation.
Martino said:Basically, as far as the FIFA window is concerned, the competition should stop as it does in the rest of the world. If not, what will happen is that teams will tend to sign lower quality players – those who will not be signed when the international break comes.
MLS has always operated a spring-winter calendar to minimize conflict with other major sports leagues in the United States. In the beginning, when the league started in 1996, International commitments were less important because Major League Soccer had fewer high-level players. As the quality of Major League Soccer increases, the number of players forced to miss matches due to international call-ups will increase, as will calls to rethink the league's schedule.
