Argentine icon, Lionel Messi is one match away from completing his remarkable transformation of Inter Miami as the club prepares for a title clash with the in-form Vancouver Whitecaps in Saturday’s MLS Cup final.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

Two years on from his arrival in Florida, which instantly reshaped the profile and competitiveness of Major League Soccer, the 38-year-old is now within reach of the first domestic trophy in Miami’s history. The club, launched as an expansion team in 2020, have long dreamt of this moment.

Miami arrived at the final, playing their best football of the season. A shaky start had many writing them off, yet Messi has inspired a thrilling march through the play-offs, with the team firing 17 goals in five matches.

Their biggest obstacle now is a Vancouver side full of confidence. The Canadian club have surged since the arrival of German World Cup winner Thomas Müller in August, adding a sharp edge to an already lively attack.

The match at Chase Stadium pits four World Cup champions against each other, with Müller joining Messi, Sergio Busquets and Argentina’s Rodrigo De Paul on the pitch. It has been billed as a marketer’s dream, but Müller insists the night is not about the personal duel many are expecting.

“It’s not about Messi against Thomas Müller,” he said after Vancouver’s 3-1 victory over San Diego in the Western Conference final. “It’s Miami against the Whitecaps.”

The fact that Miami are here at all still feels extraordinary. Back in April, Javier Mascherano’s team looked flat, tired and predictable, winning only two of their opening eight matches.

A heavy 5-1 aggregate defeat to Vancouver in the CONCACAF Champions Cup only sharpened criticism.

However, everything has changed since. De Paul’s arrival added urgency and bite in midfield, while Mascherano’s bold decision to replace 38-year-old Luis Suárez with 19-year-old Mateo Silvetti freshened the attack. Suddenly, the team looks younger, quicker, and more dangerous.

Whitecaps coach Jesper Sorensen does not see his side’s earlier wins over Miami as any indicator for the final.

“It almost seems like it was last season, right?” Sorensen said on Thursday. “It’s a new game. It’s two teams that approach the game in their way, and we will see who comes out on top come Saturday.”

Messi, who has kept a low profile since moving to MLS, told ESPN Argentina that home support could make the difference.

“We’re in a very good moment, the team is solid and excited,” he said. “Playing at home is a plus. Even though we went through a stretch where we were very inconsistent and struggled to win back-to-back games, at home we always stayed strong.”

Standing across from him will be a familiar adversary. Müller remains one of the few players in world football with a winning record against Messi, having claimed seven victories in their ten meetings.

Those include the 2014 World Cup final in Rio, and Bayern Munich’s shock 8-2 win over Barcelona in the 2020 Champions League quarter-final.

“I look back in the past, and I feel very comfortable with that, because that’s already in the books, and I had a lot of great experience in these games with my teams, so it was fun,” Müller said. “But it doesn’t really matter for Saturday; it’s a new game.”