Lionel Messi bringing together the remnants of great Barcelona teams past in Miami was a beautiful thing. It was a side for the football romantics. Many who watched Messi in Barca would have seen him connect, play and win with his compadres.
Jordi Alba was the left back who had assisted Messi more than anyone else. Luis Suarez developed the kind of attacking chemistry that many can only ever dream of. And Sergio Busquets was at the base of midfield, winning everything and metronomically ticking the game over.
That quartet was the spine of one of the best sides in the history of the sport. Their reunification in Florida just felt right. You can imagine the "We're getting the band back together" style meeting. It was probably over WhatsApp. Maybe there was a Zoom call involved. Honestly, it may have gone through agents.
They reunited, and the assumption was that they would win, early and often. The reality has been far from the case. The vibes are immaculate. The romanticism is clear to see. Their desire to continue to perform at a high level cannot be questioned, either. But results have remained elusive.
And time, it seems, is running out. Alba and Busquets are retiring at the end of the season. Suarez may yet do the same. And even if Messi just signed a three-year extension with the club, there is a sense that this is the last ride for the Catalonian boys in Miami. The band is breaking up, and on the dawn of MLS playoffs, they have one last chance at a big hit.
The Barcelona connection
There is a beautiful circularity to the story of these four. They last played for the same Barca team in 2020. That iteration of Barca underperformed slightly, in the sense that they had the sheer audacity to not win La Liga. Still, the currency of playing for La Blaugrana is trophies, and the quartet ultimately failed.
After that, they dispersed. Suarez bolted for Atletico Madrid once it became clear that Barca were going through something of a transition. Messi, unthinkably, left soon after, starting the strange fever dream era in which he played for PSG (a saga that was defined by him skipping a couple games, scoring some outrageous goals, and ultimately winning a World Cup with Argentina). Then the move to Miami in 2023.
Alba and Busquets stuck around, the elder statesmen on what was a strange era of La Liga. Barca and Real Madrid were both in transition. Xavi - if only to complete the old-teammate vibe - came in as manager. They won La Liga in 2023, and then both bolted for Miami.
Suarez did the same, albeit after a sabbatical in South American soccer with Gremio. His signature was surprising; he had spoken openly about his body breaking down in real time. But the appeal of Miami - and reunification with his old friends - was too much to turn down.
Miami, in turn, were a strange outfit. They barreled their way through the 2024 regular season, making a mockery of the league, setting a new points record and claiming the Supporters' Shield. They were, by extension, playoff favorites. And they failed to live up to that tag in quite remarkable fashion, losing in the first round to eighth-seeded Atlanta United.
The challenges of a new season
Heading into this campaign, the writing was on the wall. There was scattered talk that Suarez could retire at the end of last season, but he stuck around. Busquets and Alba were playing on expiring contracts. All of the signings Miami made over the winter - Tadeo Allende, Telasco Segovia, Maxi Falcon - seemed shrewd options, the kind of foreign talent that, in theory, makes a win-now MLS team.
The addition of Javier Mascherano as manager, meanwhile, was a massive keep-Messi-happy move.
Miami have gone about their business admittedly well - especially given the flaws. There was always going to be a hefty workload, with CONCACAF Champions Cup, Club World Cup and Leagues Cup added to an already packed MLS schedule. Across all competitions, they played 57 matches, won 31, lost 12 and drew 14.
They are scoring more than two goals per game, possess the best attack in MLS and, crucially, have managed to stay relatively healthy throughout.
Some midseason transfer activity was smart. Benjamin Cremaschi openly criticized his coach, and was swiftly sent to Parma - his Miami future seemingly over. Rodrigo De Paul's signing was an immense upgrade in the midfield, and also perhaps a signifier of Busquets' impending retirement.
Sure, they missed out on a centerback that they badly needed. But zoom out, consider the angles and think about the scope of MLS - a league in which playoff success is everything - and they are better set up for a run than last year's group.
What would success be?
It's important to consider, though, what exactly success for Miami would look like. The numbers suggest that this is a good MLS side, led by someone who is, to say the least, a clear difference-maker. But their finish in the Eastern Conference - third, and one point off first - is indicative of where they are as a team.
FC Cincinnati (second) are more well-rounded and have plenty of weapons. First-place Philadelphia Union are wonderfully consistent and will likely be able to deal with the rough and tumble of three-game playoff series.
In truth, Miami are right where they should be - especially given they have played 16 games more than Cincinnati and 18 more than Philadelphia with the other competitions. This is an older team being asked to play more games, and still came within one point of first place. In abstract, by the normal variables of modern soccer, this is effectively an overperformance.
Miami don't have the time to recover, regroup, coach and train. They take it game-by-game in a bad way. Anyone else would struggle. But of course, none of that really matters. Miami cannot point to heavy workloads, or make the "excuses" other clubs routinely use. Talent alone renders all of that irrelevant.
Nashville and the realities of a tough matchup
On MLS Decision Day, Miami looked something close to their scintillating best. They turned in a very Miami performance. They were battered for 20 minutes, and really should have gone down a goal or two. And then, the main men woke up. Alba found Messi, who scored. Nashville responded twice and went up 2-1 at halftime.
Then, the Blaugrana boys turned it on properly. Messi scored twice more in the second half, and set up a third. Alba purred up the left wing. Suarez was a constant irritant and saw a couple of shots well denied. Still, 5-2 wins don't always keep coaches happy. Sure, it's nice to score five. But conceding twice isn't the hallmark of a team in control.
Control, however, has never been Miami's thing. And that's why they are so dangerous. This side can wake up in an instant, and rattle off four second-half goals without breaking a sweat. They sacrifice defense in the name of a rip-roaring attack. Is it borderline reckless, and the kind of thing that might see them undone? Sure, but it's the way they play.
Nashville, Miami's opponent in this rematch from Decision Day, will be tricky. Last's week's loss notwithstanding, they are structured, disciplined, well coached, and have excellent attacking players, Hany Mukhtar and the ruthless Sam Surridge. There likely won't be any more 5-2 Miami wins here.
The later rounds, when it can get difficult
Nashville, of course, will be Miami's immediate focus. But the latter rounds are where they should really start to worry. For long periods of the regular season, the Herons were able to coast through games. They could take their time to save their legs. Lower intensity games make life easier.
There is no such thing as low intensity playoff soccer. And that's where Miami could run into problems. There are teams that can both outrun and outsmart them. Take the old guys whose legs can't quite match their brains, and put them up against the caliber of team that can exploit their flaws, and things could get tricky.
And that's where the vibes come in. It's where the scriptwriters have to wake up. Miami will never really be outmatched - not when they have Messi, Alba, Busquets and Suarez. But they could, as a collective, be outplayed - and yes, there's a difference.
At that inflection point, assuming they get there, is where the star-power will come in. It's where Suarez has to start hitting the net. It's where Alba's passes have to be extra crisp. It's where Busquets' tackles have to be sharp. It's where Messi's twists, turns, and finishes will have to be at their sharpest.
The band has one last tour in them. Everything has to be tuned up perfectly.