FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Chase Stadium was vibrating just moments ahead of the first whistle as supporters filled every seat, with chants echoing throughout the stands and pink Inter Miami CF flags waving in the air. By the 72nd minute, however, the Vancouver Whitecaps managed to completely silence the once lively cauldron with a fierce attack as the large scoreboard read MIA: 1, VAN: 3.
The life that once coursed through the rows of Chase Stadium in the moments prior to the goals felt like a distant memory as fans succumbed to the disappointment of an elimination in the knockout round of yet another tournament. Once the referee blew the final whistle, those still left in the stands clapped, but the players ignored those efforts, choosing to exit the pitch with haste. Lionel Messi rushed into the tunnel with his head down, stepping into the darkness of Chase Stadium's infrastructure to leave everything about this series behind him on the pitch.
Inter Miami knew they faced an enormous challenge when entering the match with a 2-0 deficit from the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal first leg, but no one expected the final 5-1 aggregate scoreline.
When signing the Barcelona boys, Inter Miami co-owner Mas vowed continuous success would enthrall spectators at Chase Stadium and fans all over the world. Though the club saw immediate results when winning the inaugural Leagues Cup trophy, in 2023, Inter Miami could not keep up with expectations. With each passing season, the club finds new ways to strengthen the playing squad and provide Messi with the necessary tools to thrive in the final third in a bid to keep that initial promise of trophies. But efforts continue to fall short, paving the way for the same, tired concern: where is the silverware for this star-studded roster?
Just over a year ago, on April 11, Inter Miami fell 5-2 on aggregate to CF Monterrey in the quarterfinals of the Concacaf Champions Cup. Former head coach Gerardo "Tata" Martino blamed MLS roster rules, insisting the constraints of the American system held the team back from competing against Liga MX giants who overspend on every position. Despite the initial declarations, Inter Miami vowed to come back stronger in 2025.
This year felt different for supporters as the club made several changes to the roster in hopes of finding success after the 2024 disappointments. The team incorporated players like Telasco Segovia, Tadeo Allende and Maximiliano Falcón into the starting XI, while making necessary additions to the bench for depth. At the helm, Miami found new leadership to steer the club to triumph. Mesmerized by his football philosophy, Mas insisted Javier Mascherano would be the one to untap international stardom and guide the historic leap into the semifinals.
"There is pressure here to win, and that pressure is going to continue. We expect it of ourselves, our coaches and players," Mas said when introducing Mascherano as head coach in November 2024.
To which the new coach reaffirmed: "I am convinced I can do it. I have no doubt."
But instead, history repeated itself as the team fell short and Inter Miami was once again eliminated just shy of the final.
Inter Miami started the second leg strongly, kicking off the match with the energy of a team that needed a miracle to advance. Players chased every ball, won those 50-50 challenges that felt impossible in Canada, and connected well on the attack.
By the ninth minute, Messi danced his way to the final third to find Luis Suárez and initiate the first goal-scoring play of the night. The pass from Messi to his former Barcelona teammate and current attacking partner ignited Suárez to connect with Jordi Alba -- another Barça alum -- for the left-back to fire truly home.
The goal made its way through the fantastic four, starting from Sergio Busquets, coming through Messi and Suarez before Alba found the net. But the magic fizzled out in the second half, after suddenly two defensive errors cost Miami two goals in the span of three minutes and ultimately the series. Those two goals dismantled the hope of a comeback for Inter Miami and, with that, the game plan Mascherano set out to complete through his players vanished.
Instead, flashbacks of the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals match against Monterrey began to crop up. On April 11, 2024, the team entered the second leg at a disadvantage, needing two goals or more to secure a positive result. Though players arrived at the BBVA Stadium in Nuevo Leon, Mexico, anxious to live up to the expectations that the coach, squad and team executives set for fans, efforts disappointed. When Monterrey gained the lead, the Herons took an anemic hit and began unraveling.
This time around, the game felt no different.
After the 53rd minute, when Brian White and Pedro Vite scored within four minutes of each other, desperation became the leading contributor to decision-making. The deep concentration and man-to-man marking that defender Maximiliano Falcon discussed during the pre-match conference could no longer be seen on the field.
Players resulted to shoving and physical tactics over technique, while Mascherano made rash decisions from the sidelines. The two goals forced the Miami boss to make key changes to the line-up, incorporating Allen Obando for Segovia, and Gonzalo Luján to replace Falcon for the first time since signing those players in pre-season.
On the field, those in the attack began to sporadically shoot in the direction of the goal in hope of finding the back of the net. Even Messi, who knows how to read the field with precision to perfectly plan his next move, began involving himself in every aspect of the game with angst. The player who naturally prioritizes calculated plays over impulsive actions could not hold back from attacking every opportunity with frustration. He didn't wait for players to find him in the final third for the determining goal-scoring opportunity, instead he went out of his way to find the ball himself across the entire pitch.
With patience, smarter decisions could've been made to connect passes and dance through defenders to beat the goalkeeper, as the team has done countless times this season.
Herculez Gomez speaks ahead of Inter Miami's Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal second leg vs. Vancouver.
"In the span of three to four minutes they decided the series. We wanted to play a longer game, without rushing and with calm," said Mascherano after the match. "We were one goal away from tying the series and what we pretended to do is have a long game.
"The hardest part was done, which was to score the first goal. But this is football, especially in a semifinal. Two or three errors against a good opponent, obviously good because they reached the semifinal, but they end up hurting you and end up sentencing with the series."
The game plan dissipated and no amount of star power on the roster could save the club from elimination. Inter Miami have come to know this reality all too well. Mascherano couldn't even rely on Tata Martino's former excuse as the team played against three MLS teams and stood as one of the highest-valued rosters on this side of the bracket.
After Wednesday's match, Busquets vowed that Miami would come back stronger, like the team did in 2024.
"We keep getting further and further every year," he said. "But with that consolation although today it's not much. We think ahead."
The difference this time around, however, is that time is running out, and the clock continues to wind down on the careers of Miami's fantastic four. By 2026, the Herons may look wildly different as the contracts of Suárez, Messi, Alba and Busquets run through the end of the 2025 MLS campaign.
Rumors continue to swirl, and talks remain ongoing about extending the contract of Messi, but his supporting cast may choose to retire come December, or play somewhere else, and Inter Miami will have little to show for their time in South Florida.
One Leagues Cup trophy and a Supporters' Shield is not the decorated silverware that Mas promised at the presentation of these players in 2023. Breaking the MLS record for most points scored in a single season will not be enough for Inter Miami at the end of this star-studded chapter.
Inter Miami still have three opportunities to win a trophy this season: MLS, the Leagues Cup and the Club World Cup. Wednesday night's elimination has never made it more clear: this side has precious few chances left to win the silverware it so desperately craves.